Glenn Reynolds: Warning shot for GOP - The Canadian example (Signal GOP defeat?)

GlennReynolds.Com ^ | January 24, 2006 | Glenn Reynolds

[NZerFromHK]

Not long ago, Canada's Conservative Party looked to be irretrievably on the ropes. Today, the Conservative Leader, Stephen Harper, will become the country's next Prime Minister.

How did this happen? Basically, Canadian voters got tired of the corruption, pork-barreling, and smugness of the entrenched Liberal Party.

Meanwhile, here in the United States, it's the entrenched Republicans, who control all three branches of government, who are facing these problems.

Corruption? We've got the Abramoff scandal. It may not amount to as much as Democrats hope, but it's not good, and there are probably more scandals waiting in the wings. (There always are.)

Pork-barreling? Here's an article from the Wall Street Journal:

"When President Bush reveals his budget request in two weeks, he likely will repeat a boast from recent speeches: "We've now cut the rate of growth in nonsecurity discretionary spending each year since I've been in office."

But such spending — for everything from air-traffic control to education and prisons — amounts to one-sixth of a $2.5 trillion budget. And it is the only piece that isn't ballooning.

What are mounting are the political untouchables: defense and the so-called mandatory entitlement programs of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. The bottom line? Total spending this year and for fiscal 2007, which starts Oct. 1, is heading in the same direction it has since the start of the Bush administration: up.

Conservatives are fuming because this is occurring when Republicans control both the White House and Congress. "The White House always says it's [due to] defense and homeland security...but even without defense and homeland security it's record spending," says Brian Riedl, budget analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation. "The brakes are off everywhere."

[xcamel]

Canada grows a set and sweeps the libs out, and US moonbat see it as a "warning to the GOP"

The depths of ignorance and denial on this one have yet to be plumbed.

[NZerFromHK]

This is a part that I don't understand either. Glenn Reynold is broadly speaking on the right. His conclusion is a bit strange - Democratic corruption is far worse than what we know even if they are well concealed.

"Throw the bums out" alone is not sufficient to change government these days.

[Fenris6]

Glenn Reynolds is a premier blogger of the Right. What he's saying is that the Convential Wisdom grossly overestimated conservative chances in the recent Canadian elections. We were expecting a rout, a conservative majority party - didn't happen. Likewise, the GOP has grown complacent and overcondfident re the 06 elections here. He's warning our congress-critters to pull their head out or risk becoming a minority party again.

[WhiteGuy]

"We've now cut the rate of growth in non-security discretionary spending each year since I've been in office."


What a sack of crap.


The gop has increased spending across the board.

Just the fact that these dopes are proudly boasting "a reduction in the rate of growth" proves that they are as worthless as the democrats when it comes to wasteful overspending.

Oh yeah, never forget it's OUR MONEY.