>>>>Actually, your other statement is not quite right. The size of government, in terms of spending, actually fell under none other than Bill Clinton. It has skyrocketed under George Bush.
Let me compartmentalize one more time for ya. When I talk about federal spending, I take national defense off the table. The Feds are required to meet their Constitutional obligations and defending America is priority #1. Its a dangerous world and keeping America with a strong military is an expensive objective. So be it.
What's left in the federal budget is all other spending and that falls under the budget line item called, "Human Resources", AKA. welfare entitlements. While the Feds did spend less as a percentage of the GDP under Clinton, defense spending as a part of the budget went down 5% and HR spending went up 9% under Clinton. The GOP Congress may have held Clinton's feet to the fire and while they did have some success with the Contract With America, the social welfare state was really wasn't reduced in the 1990`s, like it was under Reagan in the 1980`s.
In the last five years, Bush has expanded the social welfare state like no one since LBJ. Social spending has gone up under Bush. The trillion dollar prescription drug entitlement, an 86% increase in the education budget and increases in pork barrel discretionary programs like transportation, energy and farm, all have made Bush the buiggest spender in history. Look at the data at OMB.gove. The facts don't lie.
<<< The trillion dollar prescription drug entitlement, an 86% increase in the education budget>>>
Quite true, but you forget the WHY's of it......
Bush compromised what otherwise would the Dems BIG HAMMER platforms, used to prove hoe Repubs hate the people, in commercial after commercial....
When he took thier ideas as his own, they were left flat-footed and disorganized...
I don't like it, but I DO understand why.....
If Romney doesn't sign, he gets beat up over this, and any hopes of being a National Candidate are GONE, while the bill passes through override anyway....
Until we get LARGE MAJORITIES we are forced into compromises we may not like.