I'M SURPRISED AGAIN BY A CONSERVATIVE PUBLICATION

My first surprise was from Sean Davis and here's today's gem:

The Federal Government Has Quietly Frozen Spending Since 2009
The burden of government spending, relative to the economy’s productive sector, has been declining.
December 3, 2014 By Daniel J. Mitchell
THE FEDERALIST

Here’s a chart looking at annual federal spending since 2000. You’ll notice that spending skyrocketed from 2000-2009 (a time when libertarians were justifiably glum), but look at how the growth of government came to a screeching halt after 2009.

 Here are some specific numbers culled from the Office of Management and Budget data and Congressional Budget Office data. In fiscal year 2009, the federal government spent about $3.52 trillion. In fiscal year 2014 (which ended on September 30), the federal government spent about $3.50 trillion. In other words, there’s been no growth in nominal government spending over the past five years.