The next time you hear a right winger complaining that one whole year! into Obama's Presidency he continues to blame George Bush for his our problems, remind them of the following quote from Reagan's 1983 State of the Union:
"The problems we inherited were far worse than most inside and out of government had expected; the recession was deeper than most inside and out of government had predicted. Curing those problems has taken more time and a higher toll than any of us wanted."
In Reagan's 1982 State of the Union, he went after his predecessor for blame plenty of times:
"To understand the State of the Union, we must look not only at where we are and where we're going but where we've been. The situation at this time last year was truly ominous."
...
"In the last six months of 1980, as an example, the money supply increased at the fastest rate in postwar history 13 percent. Inflation remained in double digits and Government spending increased at an annual rate of 17 percent. Interest rates reached a s taggering 21 1/2 percent. There were eight million unemployed."
...
"First, we must understand what's happening at the moment to the economy. Our current problems are not the product of the recovery program that's only just now getting under way, as some would have you believe; they are the inheritance of decades of tax and tax, and spend"
...
"Now the budget deficit this year will exceed our earlier expectations. The recession did that. It lowered revenues and increased costs."
But let's face it - can anyone imagine what the media's response will be if Obama says anything like Reagan's 1983 blame shift at next year's SOTU?