The Democrats have reverted to their natural state: Launching an attack ad straight out of the Pee-wee Herman school of debate. But just like Pee-wee, the ad peters out after the self-gratification.

No one denies that the spendthrift practices of the Bush era were appalling (and we can’t ignore the fact that for the last two years of the Bush presidency the Democrats controlled Congress).

But pointing out the doubling of the national debt during the last eight years is no excuse to increase federal spending by $1 trillion this year alone. It’s no excuse for members of Congress to indulge themselves by spending more than $1 billion for each hour they work.

It’s no excuse to then again double the national debt to 82 percent of the gross domestic product. It’s no excuse to spend an additional $4.8 trillion more than the government takes in during the next 10 years, bringing total deficit spending to $9.3 trillion.

Yes, government spending was out of control during the Bush administration. That doesn’t justify continuing the practice.

Consider that when you combine the spending in the stimulus package and the increases in the Democrats’ budget, the budgets or several federal agencies will more than double during the next year.

That’s under a Democratic president running the country with a Democratic Congress.

It may make the Democrats feel good to point the finger back at Republicans. But you can’t blame someone else for the mess made from your own spending eruption.