You mean, have Ronald Reagan run a huge deficit, and Bill Clinton eliminate it? Can't be done!
And yes, as Dathi said, this is OTL despite public opinion!
I think one difference between liberals and conservatives is that conservatives are okay with various business subsidies but have a real problem with welfare to individuals. And to some extent this is society at large.
For example, after September 11th, subsidies were passed by Congress for airlines. Well, they took a big hit, and this is probably a good response on the part of Congress. But help for individual airline employees. Somehow that never made it through Congress. Too much pause and focus on the possibility of individuals abusing the system.
With a business subsidy, we envision a business executive still working hard, perhaps even in a struggling business. With unemployment benefits, I guess we envision (?) someone slothing on the couch all day watching Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and The Rifleman. I mean, slothing the entire day on the couch! And this is not just a liberal-conservative thing. Somehow this really sticks in our craw.