"The truth is, starting with Reagan, the fed gov took deficits to a whole new level."
It is a bit hard to deny there is not truth in that statement.
We have to remember, during the Yimmity Caatttaa years, the then demo POTUS and demo controlled congress cut back on military spending so much that when Ronnie got in he had no choice but to start re-building the military. And though I do not have charts at my disposal, believe it is fair to say we put a lot of bucks back into the military. So with not cutting back on any social programs, which obviously are the largest piece of pie, we did spend ourselves into a larger deficit. If ying yang and the congress did not cut the military budget earlier on so drastically, the Reagan years could have had little to complain about.
Other then that I am not entering this fray. If I am dead wrong. So be it. My statement will be exposed as a falsehood.
I know what you're saying about Reagan. He used to blame the Congress for the spending. Well the GOP doesn't have that excuse anymore. Reagan walked the walk. I recall his initial budgets and some reforms he wanted to enact had not a prayer back in those days. Can you imagine in your wildest dream Ronald Reagan proposing and enacting a huge prescription drug entitlement added on to Medicare?