Dems Question Gov't Deficit Projections of $400B+

New Bush administration projections of record federal deficits surpassing $400 billion seem understated, Democrats say, because they will probably exclude the future U.S. operations in Iraq and other long-range costs.

The Bush administration projected Tuesday that the federal deficit will climb to a record $455 billion this year and surge to $475 billion in 2004, underscoring the toll that recession, tax cuts and the fight against terror is taking on the government's books.

"There's no way OMB can make the budget a pretty picture," South Carolina Rep. John Spratt, top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, told reporters on Monday.

Until now, the most recent White House projection was the $304 billion it forecast in February for this year and $307 billion for 2004.

But as the year has progressed, a revenue drop below expected levels has continued, causing forecasters to adjust their forecasts. In addition, the White House's initial projections excluded any costs for the war with Iraq, and Bush and Congress enacted a near $80 billion bill in April to pay for the Iraq fighting and other anti-terrorism operations.

With the sky-high numbers bringing fresh attention to the budget problem, Democrats were ready to take the offensive in their ongoing efforts to accuse the president of mismanaging the budget -- and by extension the economy.