The more things change, the more they stay the same

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reagan/timeline/index_4.html

1983

January 1: The official unemployment rate reaches 11.5 million. Hardest hit is "rustbelt." In Milwaukee, 20,000 wait in 20 degree weather to apply for 200 jobs at auto-frame factory. January: Reagan's approval rating plummets to 35%. January 31: Reagan submits his fiscal 1984 budget to Congress; $189billion deficit. A combination of the recession, tax cuts, and an increase in defense spending are to blame. Advisors urge Reagan to either raise taxes or cut defense, Reagan rejects the advice and vows to "stay the course." March 8: In a speech to National Association of Evangelicals meeting in Orlando, Florida, Reagan says that U.S.S.R. is the "focus of evil in the modern world"