VP Dick Cheney - "Reagan proved deficits don't matter."
From Paul O'Neill, Bush's first Secretary of the Treasury, fired because he wanted to use the surplus to reduce debt, not on tax breaks for the super-wealthy. (I read his book, well-spent time. Reading from a variety of people leads one to a more well-rounded view of the world, don't you think?)
When he expressed these concerns to Cheney after the 2002 midterm elections, the vice president reportedly said, "(President Ronald) Reagan proved deficits don't matter," adding: "We won the midterms. This is our due."
Arf