Politician: Some of my opponents have argued on theoretical grounds in favor of reducing social spending. Instead of arguing that there is excessive public expenditure on social programs, my opponents should focus on the main cause of deficit spending: the fact that government is bloated with bureaucrats and self-aggrandizing politicians. It is unwarranted, therefore, to reduce social expenditure.

Question: A reasoning flaw in the politician's argument is that the argument
Options:
A. does not address the arguments advanced by the politician's opponents, B. makes an attack on the character of opponents, C. takes for granted that deficit spending has just one cause, D. portrays opponents' views as more extreme than they really are, E. fails to make clear what counts as excessive spending
Answer: "A"