On GOP Profligacy, from a Republican

I just finished reading this post by Bruce Bartlett, and I found myself nodding in agreement often. I am no economist, but much of what I read seemed quite reasonable. All I know is that there are too many people out there demanding services from government who have no desire to pay for those services.

The GOP has indeed cut taxes and increased spending, but somehow manage still to be seen as the party of fiscal responsibility. And now that Obama is at the helm, these profligate spenders have nerve enough to crow about fiscal responsibility, deficits and debt reduction, and people still buy it.

I wonder if we got rid of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Department of Education, Student Loans, you know, anything that helped people below the level of upper middle class, if the "government is too big" crowd would finally be satisfied. Yet many of these same individual do not see waste with governmental relationships like this. And, yes I know that someone will read this and come up with some laundry list of Democratic "horrors" (see the aforementioned programs that the GOP tends to hate, except when it's politically expedient not to), but at least Democrats are more honest about taxing and spending.

Meanwhile, I think I will check out more of Barlett's writings, and I have to admit that I am surprised that I find myself agreeing with someone who worked for both Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Ultimately, I find it sad that our politics have become so polarized that I am surprised by my finding common ground with an old line conservative.

UPDATE: It looks like the RNC Chair is right at home with profligacy, or should I say GOP-style spending.