The American Spectator

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Political Hay

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Now, we've got prescription drug care for seniors. This foot in the socialized medicine door, this stitch in our financial side is going to cost some $2 trillion over the next 25 years, counting only immediate costs. It'll be worse. With government, it always is. And remember: Your dog isn't paying the bill. You, Joe Taxpayer, are.

This renders the supposedly conservative triumph of Bush's tax cuts meaningless. While he's putting money in one pocket, he's taking it out of the other. And it's for the worst of reasons. Bush is doing it to buy off the old vote. Piffle with good government. "I've got an election coming up in 2004. After that we can have good government."

So in the triumph of politics over ideas in the GOP (some would say this happened long ago), it's not about smaller government. It's about the right people in power. It's not about prudent spending. It's about locking down voter blocs to stay in control. Thus the crowning moment in the Republican rise to glory is just proof they shouldn't have it.

Conservatives always trusted Republicans with power (or came close to it) because of the assumption that their principles would rein in abuse. Our bad. In the end, who cares that we kicked the left's ass? In doing so, we just became a pain in our own.

topics:
Federal Budget, Medicare