Note to Pete: We've "owned" deficit reduction for decades, every time a Dem has followed a Republican president. No need to fall for yet another Republican talking point.

Look at Pete. He has bought hook, line and sinker into the upcoming Republican talking point should Democrats win the presidency in November (from Sahil Kapur at NBC News just hours ago):

Pete Buttigieg calls for deficit reduction, swiping at Bernie Sanders The Democratic presidential candidate vowed to focus on the debt even though he says it's "not fashionable in progressive circles." Feb. 9, 2020, 12:36 PM PST / Updated Feb. 9, 2020, 1:55 PM PST By Sahil Kapur NASHUA, N.H. — Pete Buttigieg called on Democrats to get more serious about lowering the national debt, portraying himself as the biggest fiscal hawk in the presidential field and taking a shot at chief New Hampshire rival Bernie Sanders for being too spendthrift. Asked at a town hall here how important the deficit is to him, Buttigieg said it's "important" and vowed to focus on limiting the debt even though it's "not fashionable in progressive circles." "I think the time has come for my party to get a lot more comfortable owning this issue, because I see what's happening under this president — a $1 trillion deficit — and his allies in Congress do not care. So we have to do something about it," Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, said in a packed middle school gym, drawing cheers. … But cutting the deficit has not been a focus of the 2020 Democratic field, leaving an opening for Buttigieg to claim that mantle. He echoed fiscal hawks Sunday in arguing that higher deficits strain prospects for investment. "It's not fashionable in progressive circles to talk too much about the debt, largely because of the irritation to the way it's been used as an excuse against investment. But if we're spending more and more on debt service now, it makes it harder to invest in infrastructure and health and safety net that we need right now," he said.

There is so much wrong with this, I’m not sure where to start…

1. Pete is either ignorant of history, or he’s simply proving once again that he’s a rank opportunist. Every recent Democratic president has been forced to deal with massive deficits left by their Republican predecessors who cut taxes for the wealthy and/or corporations while ramping up military spending. So Pete’s utter lies contained in claiming that “the time has come for my party to get a lot more comfortable owning this issue,” is either incredibly naive or, again, rank opportunism. I’ll go with the latter.

2. Yes, there’s an “opening for Buttigieg to claim that (deficit hawk) mantle” because the rest of the Dem field, including moderates like Biden and Klobuchar, know that it is a bullshit Republican talking point. Buttigieg doesn’t speak about the role Republican tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations had in growing our deficit. He doesn’t frame it that way. Buttigieg puts the onus on Dems. And — surprise, surprise — Buttigieg coughs up this “deficit hawk” hairball the same day that news outlets are reporting this:

Trump to propose sweeping cuts to foreign aid, safety net programs in latest budget WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will propose on Monday a 21 percent cut in foreign aid and slashing social safety net programs in his $4.8 trillion budget proposal for fiscal 2021, according to senior administration officials. … The budget will raise military spending by 0.3 percent to $740.5 billion for the fiscal year 2021, starting Oct. 1 and propose higher outlays for defense and veterans, administration officials said. The White House proposes to slash spending by $4.4 trillion over 10 years. That includes $130 billion from changes to Medicare prescription-drug pricing, $292 billion from cuts in safety net programs — such as work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps — and $70 billion from tightening eligibility rules for federal disability benefits.

As I have stated many times, I am not a Sanders fan. But I am even less of a fan of a Democratic candidate using Republican talking points, especially framed the way Buttigieg frames deficits here.

I will remind folks that just a few short months ago, good ol’ Mayor Pete was decrying the “centrist incrementalism” of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton while he actively embraced Medicare-for-All.

x Buh? When/where have you ever heard me oppose Medicare for All? Ã¢ÂÂ Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) February 17, 2018

In January of 2019, Buttigieg told the Washington Post, “The center of gravity of the American people is way to the left of the center of gravity of Congress and, in many ways, to the left of the national Democratic Party.”

And look where Pete is now. Why, he’s to the right of Joe Biden! Imagine that!

This guy cannot be trusted. Period. He’s a chameleon (and that’s putting it kindly). I have no idea what he really believes, and neither does anyone else. He’s a manufactured candidate. His pipe dream is peeling off disaffected Republicans. That’s a losing strategy. Trump’s base is fanatical and Trump’s numbers have gone up since his acquittal. It’s a sucker’s bet, and Pete is all in.

Oh, and what’s Pete’s plan for deficit reduction? From the story:

Buttigieg hasn't laid out a plan to significantly lower the national debt, which could require steep tax hikes or cuts in cherished programs like Social Security.

Hey, but at least he has decided to claim the mantle of #Deficit Hawk. Way to go, Mayor Pete!