Radical Avenue

Republicans vying for public office next year will have a difficult time explaining where they want to take the country. The course plotted by George Bush is clearly unsustainable, but Bush remains popular in many Republican circles. Worse yet, most elected Republicans have left their conservative credentials behind during a decade long borrow and spend feeding frenzy. Republicans call themselves conservative, but they haven’t governed that way.

Empire building is incompatible with smaller government.
Apparently the Bush crowd thought we’d be able to leave Iraq within a year of the initial invasion. They fantasized about Ahmed Chalabi taking over and turning Iraq into a powerful American ally. Things didn’t work out that way. Those of us living in the real world know that when we invade a foreign country, we usually stick around to help that country rebuild. Experience also tells us that nation building is extraordinarily expensive. It’s difficult to reduce the size of government when you’re spending a trillion dollars on the other side of the planet.

Borrowing to expand government is unsustainable.
When the Republicans had control of Congress they went on a massive spending spree. They passed a generous farm subsidy bill. They greatly expanded Medicare. And they brought us the Alaskan bridge to nowhere. At least Democrats pay for their favorite programs. Republicans pass their debts on to future generations.

Unsupervised wiretapping is inconsistent with a less obtrusive government.
The Bush administration has also shown no respect for individual liberties. It has resisted all attempts to have its wiretapping activities supervised by the courts. Republicans could strike a blow for conservatism by requiring Mr. Bush to follow the law when it comes to domestic wiretapping. Instead they’re just blowing it.

Republicans, George Bush, Iraq, empire, conservative, wiretapping