State Rep. Maria Chapelle-Nadal, sharp as always, has this take on one of many pieces of President George W. Bush’s doublespeak:
Republicans who believe in limited government, if there are any still alive and kicking, must shudder with big-government disdain when reading this statement: “George W. Bush is the biggest-spending president since Lyndon B. Johnson.” That’s right – even when spending on defense and homeland security is excluded – “Bush is still the biggest-spending president in 30 years.”
This news is the result of a recent study, “The Grand Old Spending Party: How Republicans Became Big Spenders,” by Stephen Slivinski of the Cato Institute, a conservative Washington think tank with the motto: “Individual Liberty, Limited Government, Free Markets and Peace.”
Here is another tidbit from the study that should leave lovers of Newt Gingrich’s “Contract with America” sick to their stomachs:
“Government spending has grown from $1.86 trillion to $2.48 trillion – up 33 percent since 2001. Nondefense spending has gone up dramatically as well – since Bush took office, domestic spending has shot up by 36 percent.”
It turns out that most Republicans these days don’t revile “big government”; they’ll spend away if it serves their political interests. When talking about government programs and services delivered to rank and file Americans with little political influence, many Republicans simply regurgitate old, hollow statements about fiscal responsibility when arguing for cuts to vital programs.