The national debt has not been reduced since Eisenhower, period. Clinton had a budget surplus ONLY because his administration wrote a budget for Bush's first year. Anyone can write a budget and make it look good UNTIL you have to pay the bills. There was no surplus other than on paper. I can promise not to spend money on groceries next year and thus have a surplus. But, if I then decide next year to go out every night to eat, I invalidate that budget. If Clinton EVER had a surplus, do you not think that the national debt would have been paid down, even a little? Sorry, but it has not been paid down since Eisenhower.