Both parties are to blame for the current situation, but every time someone comes out and talks about fiscal restraint I am bothered by the hypocrisy. Why were

Both parties are to blame for the current situation, but every time someone comes out and talks about fiscal restraint I am bothered by the hypocrisy. Why weren't these people talking about fiscal restraint during the bush years? "And, by the way, the budget deficit in 2007 was, with two wars in full swing and all the Bush tax cuts in effect, a mere $158B." The budget deficit is where it is now because of the collapse which, to a very large part, was due to deregulation and other effects of the early 2000s. Bush was riding on the effect of the Clinton-era reforms.