[CasearianDaoist]

But Mr. Clinton achieved big-budget savings by slashing defense spending,

And Science and Technology spending!

[LiberalSlayer99]

I'm seriously thinking about putting my vote where my heart is...and not voting Republican anymore. How in the world can Bush push through some of the largest domestic spending increases I've seen in my lifetime and be called a conservative is beyond me. Increasing the military and intelligence budgets, yes. But domestic spending????? Arrggghhh! If this is the new face of the Republican party (including Congress that passed his increases), then I don't want to be a part of it. Especially since my generation will be footing the bill long after the Boomers have kicked the bucket.

Sorry for my rant...but I'm cranky about this today.

[newgeezer]

Excellent artlcle. Thanks for posting it.

This has triggered criticism from his staunchest conservative supporters, who accuse him of being a "big government Republican" unwilling to spend any of his political capital to fight wasteful, pork-barrel spending.

Color me "staunchest."

Will Mr. Bush's other domestic spending increases alienate conservative voters in November?

Surely Dubya takes great comfort in knowing there's nowhere else for us to go. His only worry is that we'll stay home. Some staunch conservative voters will decide the difference between him and his opponent is so small as to make getting to the poll, standing in line, etc. not worth the effort. But, luckily for Dubya, most of us have this old-fashioned idea that it's our "civic duty" to vote. Thus, it's all too easy for him and the rest of his "conservative" colleagues to take us staunch-types for granted.

Once enough of us depart from this existence, so will what's left of conservatism. It's only a matter of time.

{ping}

[citizen]

"Thus far, the president has had a lot of specific proposals of where to increase spending, but he has been vague on where to cut spending," says budget analyst Brian Riedl of the Heritage Foundation. "He has specified increases for education, job training, Medicare, homeland security and corporate welfare, but we've only heard vague statements about fiscal responsibility on the spending-cut side."

Don't worry, Brian. The revenue will be made up from the soon-to-be-legal aliens paying taxes on their $5.15/hour jobs.

You see, Bush has it all figured out?!

***Reluctantly, an ex-Republican base voter***

[gooleyman]

Whatever happened to the Line Item Veto?

[gooleyman]

From the Article: ...(the 2005 budget) will propose holding total nondefense, non-homeland security discretionary spending increases to less than 1 percent -- a surprise move he did not mention in his State of the Union address.

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I'll believe that +1% jazz when I see it. Unfortunately, I suspect I won't be believing it.

[gcruse]

Libertarian means socially liberal, fiscal conservative.

What is the mirror philosophy called? What is a socially conservative, fiscal liberal? Do we have something new under the sun in Washington?