Republican loyalists constantly told us that the reason we must support George Bush is that "he is better than Al Gore." Since taking office, however, Bush has successfully supported numerous liberal policies that Democrats such as Al Gore could never have gotten away with. Now, Bush is preparing to call for the biggest increase in federal spending since L.B.J.
According to the Washington Post, "The Bush administration is poised to complete the biggest increase in government spending since the 1960's "Great Society." The Post continues, "Spending on government programs will increase 22 percent from 1999 to 2003 in inflation-adjusted dollars." It further states, "The president's 2003 budget proposals dwarf the spending increase from any four-year period since President Lyndon Johnson."
This spending binge by Bush and Company is even more egregious when one considers that the 22 percent increase is likely to go even higher in real numbers. The Post states, "The total for the 2003 budget likely will go higher as pressure builds in Congress to add to the administration's budget requests in this election year to enact new benefits such as a prescription drug plan for Medicare recipients. The calculations also do not include the effect of the administrations $27 billion supplemental spending request for 2002." Given the fact that Bush has affirmed his support for enacting a new government-sponsored prescription drug plan, the Post's projection appears very probable.
It must be pointed out that the Republican Party has controlled the purse strings for the federal government during this four-year budget period. Republicans controlled both Houses of Congress for three out of these four years, and they controlled the White House for two. They cannot blame the Democrats for this gigantic increase in federal spending in any shape, manner, or form! Republicans, and Republicans only, are to blame for this biggest-since-Johnson expansion of federal spending!
It is time for President Bush and his fellow Republicans to own up to the fact that they are lying when they say they believe in less government! As the staff director of the House Budget Committee said, "They [Republicans] are big spenders as long as it is on programs they want to spend money on."
It is safe to say that if Al Gore were president today, he could never get such a massive expansion of federal spending through Congress - but Bush will! He and his fellow Republicans will do what Gore and his fellow Democrats could only dream about: they will increase federal spending by multiples not seen in nearly 50 years.
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