Reagan was originally a Democrat.  In 1962, Ronald Reagan famously quipped: "I didn't leave the Democratic Party.  The party left me."  The party has left a lot of Democrats and many of them are beginning to realize it. 

The Republican plan that has just been passed in the House and is dubbed the Cut, Cap and Balance plan.  Cut spending, Cap the debt with limit and Balance the budget.  The Democrat plan.... There is no Democrat plan, not in the House, not in the Senate and not from the President.  There are complaints, accusations and verbal cries that begin "we must" but nothing on paper that begins "this is our plan."

The Democrats are losing this one.  They are losing it to the American people.  They are losing it to voters who believe in Reagan.  So the Democrats want Reagan back as one of their own.  They want you to believe Reagan called for unqualified increases in the debt ceiling eleven times, which he did not.  They want you to know Reagan signed a tax increase bill in 1982, but they don't want you to know it was done reluctantly and as his part of a bargain with Congress that they would cut spending by $3 for every $1 in the tax increase.

Reagan kept his half of the agreement and signed the bill.  The Democratic Congress reneged on their promise in the agreement and increased spending.  Reagan later said that making that agreement with Congress was the biggest mistake he made during his Presidency.

When the Great Communicator made this bargain with the Great Spenders, U.S. debt was approximately 35% of GDP.  This year it will reach approximately 90%.  It's not just you do that matters; it is also when you do it.  The Democrats want you to think Reagan would say today -- The United States has a special responsibility to itself and the world to meet its obligations.  The debt limit must be raised along with taxes to pay for it.  But if Reagan were actually here, he would probably smile, nod his head to the side and say -- There you go again.  We are in a hole.  And the way out is not to take more money from the people to buy bigger shovels.  The light is at the top.  We can climb to it, but only if we stop digging.

Robert R Barker also writes for RandomThots.org .where his work is driven by love of country and a concern for its people, both present and yet to be.