I agree Bob. Here's a phrase you can use when some random Republican starts in on the "Tax and Spend Democrats". Ask "You mean like Clinton? The Dem who balanced the budget after the record deficits and runaway government spending he inherited from Reagan: who, by the way, was a BORROW AND SPEND style Republican like all of the Bushes and all of the repubs seem to be these days. "
If most of us had a choice between a borrow and spend or a tax and spend politician, I'm sure most of us would choose the latter.
I'm damn tired of Borrow and Spend politicians of any affiliation, but they seem to all be Republicans.
Another simplistic analysis.
Reagan's deficits were the result of compromise: he got what he wanted in terms of increased military spending and tax cuts, while the Democrat-controlled house and senate got their programs funded. Both side gave up something to the other at the expense of the American people - literally and figuratively.
Flip the party affiliations around and you get the same thing with Clinton and the Republican-controlled house and senate. The Republicans forced fiscal conservatism on Clinton in exchange for concessions on their part.
The Republicans then turned into spendthrift Democrats once they had both the legistlative and executive reigns, and now there are no fiscal conservatives. We have moved from a spendthrift Republican congress/president combination to an even more spendthrift Democrat congress/president combination. That's not good in any way or defensible by saying "but the other side...". That type of argument doesn't even work for 3rd graders on a playground, but it's all I can expect from cc.com libtards. You can do better than them, Bill.