[Valentine_W]

I have not decided if I am going to vote for George W. again. I probably will though; ideological purity is unfortunatley, only afforded to the thinkers and philosophers, not the politicians.

[EternalVigilance]

Welcome to Free Republic!

[Valentine_W]

I was reading the other day that federal spending consumes about one-fifth of all national production--this figure hasn't really changed much over the last 40 years. I find it ironic that the President's 2004 budget request is among the largest in history. At present, conservatives concern themselves with issues such as terrorism and national security, but perhaps an even greater threat to democracy is the virtual un-checked growth of the state, regardless of what party is in office.

And yes, people say that this budget money is needed to fund various projects, but there can be no doubt in one's mind that big government works in direct opposition to republican values, regardless of the context of time. Just MHO of course.