Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize winner for Economics, columnist for the New York Times, and a Bush Administration critic said of the Bush's economics policies before the 2004 election that "those tax cuts, rather than the spending binge, are the primary cause of the (federal) deficit.” He also said that tax cuts, deficit spending and two wars are unsustainable.
While Republicans like to talk about tax cuts, actually favoring the rich. And Republicans like to accuse the Democrats of wanting to raise taxes. The best way to reduce the deficit, begun in the Bush Administration, is by increased taxes.

The theory that reduced revenues through tax cuts will reduce the size of government, had been proven to be untrue. In recent history under Reagen, Bush H.W., Clinton, and Bush W., government has grown and continues to grow.
So what Obama said is true. How quickly we forget when and how all this mess started. We love to blame it on someone we dislike.