"let's review a little history:

The day the Bush administration took over from President Bill Clinton in 2001, America enjoyed a $236 billion budget surplus"

Not history, Horseshit.

There were never any surpluses. It is a myth.

The deficit grew every year thst Clinton was in office.

The growth decelerated in the year ended Sep 2000 but It increased with the $133 billion deficit budget that Clinton handed to GWB.

Clinton handed a growing deficit to GWB.

  Fiscal Year.Year Ending.....National Debt...........Deficit
    FY1994.....09/30/1994.....$4.692749 trillion.....$281.26 billion
    FY1995.....09/29/1995.....$4.973982 trillion.....$281.23 billion
    FY1996.....09/30/1996.....$5.224810 trillion.....$250.83 billion
    FY1997.....09/30/1997.....$5.413146 trillion.....$188.34 billion
    FY1998.....09/30/1998.....$5.526193 trillion.....$113.05 billion
    FY1999.....09/30/1999.....$5.656270 trillion.....$130.08 billion
    FY2000.....09/29/2000.....$5.674178 trillion.....$17.91 billion
    FY2001.....09/28/2001.....$5.807463 trillion.....$133.29 billion