[neverdem]

I wish Newt had paid attention to the smaller government tide when he was Speaker.

He did. Remember when the GOP and Newt got the blame for shutting down the gov't. How did we get a balanced budget and welfare reform?

[Daveinyork]

We got tax cuts, which increase tax revenuew, but the GOP never even stopped the growth of government, let alone shrunk it. Newt IMO got too wrapped up in his new found celebrity status to be able to get anything done, and too many Republicans believe in a cheaper and better welfare state.

Besides, welfare reform has not even scratched the surface in even slowing the growth of the social malignancies that the welfare state has unleashed. We never needed welfare reform. We needed welfare abolition.