Republicans Are the Health of the State

“Some conservatives might conclude that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s endorsement of presidential candidate John McCain only proves that true conservatism has left the Republican Party. McCain has indeed diverged from supposed conservative values in many areas. And so has our governor.”

“McCain criticized President George Bush’s tax cuts. Schwarzenegger has delivered some of the largest bond increases in California history….

“Republican politicians in recent times have sided with big government advocates, despite their rhetoric. President Bush gave us No Child Left Behind, enormous prescription drug entitlements, immense corporate regulation, and staggering spikes in domestic spending. His father raised taxes and signed the Americans With Disabilities Act. No less a Republican hero than Ronald Reagan raised Social Security taxes, increased tariffs, busted the budget and – in his earlier years as California governor – expanded social programs, passed the largest tax increase in state history, and signed landmark gun control legislation. Almost every Republican president in the last century oversaw significant expansions of government size and power.”

“So why have many conservative intellectuals and commentators tolerated all this social spending, gun control, meddling in education, violations of civil liberties and high taxes and debt? One reason: War.”

Full column by Anthony Gregary @ http://ca.lp.org/lp20080204.shtml