Bipartisan Victory: Lots O' Pork

Wednesday, August 10, 2005 Bipartisan Victory: Lots O' Pork The only thing that seems to unite Republicans and Democrats: bringing home the bacon. Today, in Montgomery Illinois (just a few potholes away from where I am writing) President Bush signed the new highway bill, which weighed in at a monstrous $286.4 billion. Bush said he compromised Congress down from $400 billion! Is anyone else out there annoyed by this violation of first principles by 'fiscally conservative' Republicans? Ken Says: I dunno why but I feel like I gotta explain myself on this. I am socially liberal, so one of the main reasons I support socially conservative Republicans is because they believe in fiscal responsibility. Or so they say. If they knock this pillar out from under me, it blows away a whole bundle of reasons why I support them. It is much more than an issue of balanced budgets. Limiting the size of government is the best check we have on creeping socialism. It is the best way to keep the free play of markets and entreprenership going strong. A smaller government must, by necessity, be less powerful and thus more deferential to liberty. The only thing that competes with limited government for space on my political radar screen is national security. I hope the Republicans don't take it away from me or, god forbid, the Democrats appropriate it. Not much danger of that, but the Dems have to wise up one day, don't they? 7:32 PM | | |