[will_brown]

The irony is the right holds Reagan as a shining example of fiscal conservatism.

However, Reagan ultimately tripled the debt while in office. The right loved saying Obama spent more than all other presidents before him combined (which he did, which Bush did...but Reagan the model of fiscal conservatism spent 2x as all presidents who served before him).

[GabrielBen]

Reagan's deficit increase comes mostly due to military spending, something that was regarded as extremely strategically important in an era of potential nuclear holocaust.

[maxxxxx]

Seems Trump is on the way to top that. That's one thing I never get about modern Republicans. When in opposition they throw a fit about deficits but as soon as they have power they forget these concerns but drive deficits up a lot. Reagan did it, Bush did it and now Trump is doing it too.

[AcerbicZero]

Its almost as if forcing (rational) people to select D or R via a number of single issue pivot points creates a situation where everyone is guilty of some level of hypocrisy.

[dragonwriter]

> When in opposition they throw a fit about deficits but as soon as they have power they forget these concerns but drive deficits up a lot.

They don't care about deficits, they care about spending priorities. Deficits is just the argument they turn to when they don't have an argument against particular spending priorities.