Ryan Sager in the Post (via Glenn):
The Republican promise of smaller, less-intrusive government is getting harder and harder to believe. Especially when a more plausible plot line is unfolding every day: that the GOP has put aside the ideals of Reagan and Goldwater in order to pursue a political strategy based on big spending.
When people break promises, they are known as liars. Why mince words?
Congress is no innocent victim here
KC
I’m telling you, if I could bring back Clinton and the Republican Congress we had in the 1990s, I would. Indeed, that was one of my main reasons for voting against Bush this election–to get some partisan opposition into the game of spending in Washington. Oh well.
Brad R.
(I’m paraphrasing here, but I think it’s accurate)
“Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work, and then they get elected to prove it.”
-PJ O’Rourke
Andrei
And what about this to add to the pile?
Reporters asked to leave room at Holland town hall meeting.
At what point will the outrage the right used so vehemently against Clinton in the 90s come back to blast this administration which has done far more inappropriate things than oral sex in the white house? The stacked audiences to control messages, the rampant pork spending, the irresponsible tax cuts without rigorous spending reductions, the borderline criminal misrepresentation of intelligence to begin a pre-emptive war on the other side of the globe… Where is the outrage from the likes of Novak, Limbaugh, Coulter and Hannity? Where is the outrage and hardball press coverage from BOTH the MSM and conservative bloggers?
It’s quite clear the GOP leadership is not what was traditionally thought of as conservative in American politics. At what point do conservatives really ask themselves that maybe a vote of no confidence is in order to force a rebalance of political power in 2006?
Libertine
Very insightful post…the Dems do have a long history of out of control spending. But it pales in comparison to what Bush and the Republican contolled Congress has done in the last 4+ years. Even as a liberal I did always view the GOP on the correct side of the “less government” argument. But it seems the Dems are the ones who are trying to put the breaks on the rampaging, spend happy, GOP…go figure.
The Dems spent money claiming to want to help out the poor. Nice sentiments but it ended up building a welfare society the rewarded people to be on the public rolls. But the GOP giveaways are to major corporations and business interests. I am definitely “free market” advocate but there is a huge difference between free market and and the new kind of welfare society…corporate welfare state.
Ron Beasley
Good post John. It seems hubris, we will because we can, ignores party lines.
ray
The Republican Party is not “conservative”. It is just less left/liberal than the Democrats. So they’ll continue to get my vote.
As Sowell said, “We canonly choose among the alternatives that are actually available, regardless of the options we _wish_ were available”
bago
At least with democrats people were worried about 2% vs 4% levels of federal growth. BushCo is up to 20-30% increases.
Orders of magnitude.