Posted on 12/30/2005 7:54:42 PM PST by Dont_Tread_On_Me_888
The Republican myth about "spending control" and "limited government" was exposed yet again today, this time by John Stossel. It made the Top Ten as a myth (or lie).
A fair and straight reporter like John Stossel (who receives many kind words from Free Republic members) exposed this unfortunate truth that many still will refuse to acknowledge, no matter how many times members right here have stated the same thing as Stossel did tonight. I hope this report emabarasses the hell out of the GOP leadership -- but it will not. I don't believe the GOP will ever claim to be the party of limited government again.
Where are the Goldwater Conservatives? In the Democratic Party?
Thx.
I don't see anything on tonight's show at that sight yet, but at least it is a link to 20/20 instead of ABC News.
Do yo have an anwswer as to what to do when you post an article about a current happening on a media outlet and you must post a URL, but the URL is useless?
What do you do in that case?
Also, what is your comment about the fact it is a myth that the GOP is the party of limited government?
True.
Perhaps the only ones to be less effective than the Democrats and Republicans at reducing the burden of government have been the Libertarians.
Some record they've got.
My wife watched it and said he had a good piece on guns and how it doesn't matter how many laws are passed, crooks (admit) they get guns regardless.
Hey..I feel for you..been there done that.
Try linking to the exact place you wish Freepers to read..not the ABC website. We are short on time and short on patience..we have real jobs.
Sorry man, about your limited government psychosis...we are in the middle of the War On Terror. I am on the side of our country.
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/column/JohnStossel/2005/12/28/180507.html
This is a better link. Repubs have grown the federal budget at 2 to 3 times the inflation rate on a governement that was handed off from the dems.
Thx!
MYTH #8 — Republicans Shrink the Government
Republicans always trot out the slogan that they oppose big government and want to shrink the federal payroll. President Bush tells us that "big government is not the answer."
President Reagan told us, "Our government is too big and it spends too much."
But for more than 75 years, no Republican administration has cut the size of government. Since George W. Bush became president, government spending has risen nearly 25 percent.
And the spending increase isn't just tied to the war on terrorism. The Office of Management and Budget says spending at the Environmental Protection Agency is up 12 percent; it's up 14 percent at the Agriculture Department, 30 percent at the Department of the Interior; 64 percent at the Department of Labor, and 70 percent at the Department of Education.
And the pork keeps pouring out. Even the Peanut Festival in Dothan, Ala., got $200,000.
Alabama congressman Terry Everett, a Republican, got them the money. He wouldn't talk to us about it, but the locals said they like getting your money. "I think it's a waste of money, but if they're going to waste money, I guess it's better to waste it here than anywhere else," one man told me.
Economist Stephen Moore, a Republican, says, "We fought a war against big government and you know what? Big government won."
He noted, "You look at what's happened to the government in the 10 years since the Republicans took control of Congress, the government is twice as big."
Republicans always trot out the slogan that they oppose big government and want to shrink the federal payroll. President Bush tells us that "big government is not the answer."
President Reagan told us, "Our government is too big and it spends too much."
But for more than 75 years, no Republican administration has cut the size of government. Since George W. Bush became president, government spending has risen nearly 25 percent.
And the spending increase isn't just tied to the war on terrorism. The Office of Management and Budget says spending at the Environmental Protection Agency is up 12 percent; it's up 14 percent at the Agriculture Department, 30 percent at the Department of the Interior; 64 percent at the Department of Labor, and 70 percent at the Department of Education.
And the pork keeps pouring out. Even the Peanut Festival in Dothan, Ala., got $200,000.
Alabama congressman Terry Everett, a Republican, got them the money. He wouldn't talk to us about it, but the locals said they like getting your money. "I think it's a waste of money, but if they're going to waste money, I guess it's better to waste it here than anywhere else," one man told me.
Economist Stephen Moore, a Republican, says, "We fought a war against big government and you know what? Big government won."
He noted, "You look at what's happened to the government in the 10 years since the Republicans took control of Congress, the government is twice as big."
You can't embarrass the GOP anymore....
Borrowing PJ O'Rourke's phrase, they've clearly become a "Parliament of Whores."
Beat me by 7 seconds...
Also, what is your comment about the fact it is a myth that the GOP is the party of limited government?
There is a little known fact that we are at war. That we were attacked. That just might affect a change in policy. What do you think? Doesn't that make just a itty bitty bit of sense?
Is this a trick question?
Geez Louise...run Buchanan then...stop your whining. 2008 is not far off.
I watched it too. it was like a Stossel best-of show.
unlike many libertarians, Stossel doesn't harp about the wonders of legalized pot and nothing else.
What was Media MYTH #1?
Ack.
The increased spending is hardly all military.
I do believe it would be worse had Democrats controlled congress and the presidency the last decade or so, though.
There are a number of basic problems such as:
1) Social cons who care about nothing besides their pet social hobby horses.
2) People having a mistaken impression of "where the money goes"......people think it's foreign aid, Congressional salaries, the space program (all of which are such tiny expenditures as to be practically non-existent) or "giveaways for the poor."
Where it REALLY mostly goes is giveaways for the Middle Class.
3) People against all spending except that which they perceive benefits them. Witness the thread a few months ago where a FReeper who grew organic veggies or something was having an apopaleptic fit because her local Dept. of Agriculture extension office was closing; Ag has something like 1 employee per 3 actual farmers in the country and thousands of businesses survive in this country without the government handholding agriculture gets, and even in this obvious case people don't want cuts.
Sorry about your lack of depth of understanding and research capabiltiy. Hope you get that fixed soon.
The FACT is the war does not have a damn thing to do with the Republicans acting like spendaholic RATs. BTW, if you knew anything about historical facts at the OMB, you would notice that the Republicans during Scumbag's eight years were spendaholics then also. The "party of limited government" became a lie even before George Bush became the biggest social spender in world history.
Get well soon. Try doing more research in 2006.
And the spending increase isn't just tied to the war on terrorism. The Office of Management and Budget says spending at the Environmental Protection Agency is up 12 percent; it's up 14 percent at the Agriculture Department, 30 percent at the Department of the Interior; 64 percent at the Department of Labor, and 70 percent at the Department of Education.
I hear Osama Bin Laden wet himself when we struck that massive blow against him by passing the Medicare drug benefit plan.
The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it. -- P.J. O'Rourke
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.