While out of office the Republicans vehemently opposed anything that would raise the national debt. Now in office, they are proposing legislation that by most sensible estimates will raise the national debt by $1.7 trillion, or about 8%.
When Democrats controlled the White House they were in favor of allowing the national debt to rise so that they could provide a fiscal stimulus to the economy. Now in opposition (or perhaps more accurately, in the wildness) they are drawing attention to the national debt implications of the Republicans' tax giveaway.
The issue then is not the national debt, but what that borrowed money would be spent on. If it is to be on tax cuts for corporations and the rich, Republicans are all for it and the Dems oppose it. If it is to go to social programs, Democrats are for it. In the end, ones approach to borrowing is less to do with probity, but more a reflection of ones underlying values regarding equity and wealth distribution.
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