The chart provides a quick reminder of how we got here: tax cuts, deregulation leading to the banking meltdown, and war. Of the current 13.6 trillion dollar national debt, 10 trillion dollars were piled up under Republican presidents. The remaining 3.6 trillion could be attributed to Obama in the sense he was sworn in when it accrued, but that does not tell the whole story. The vast majority of “Obama’s debt” came from the Bush tax cuts, the Bush wars, and the Bush recession. A stark contrast with Reagan and Bush II, both of whom inherited a balanced budget. The one thing Obama actually did do, the stimulus, was a tiny, one time addition to the treasure trove lost thanks to conservative policies. And note the one thing you don’t see on that chart: Social Security and Medicare. Keep that in mind as you hear conservatives howl in anger this week demanding we punish future recipients of earned benefits for past Republican cluster fucks.