“Apparently, one of the best-kept secrets of the 1990s was that Bill Clinton signed most of the items in Newt Gingrich’s “Contract with America” into law.”
Clinton wanted to spend-spend-spend his way out of a recession, but the GOP stopped him. He also wanted Healthcare reform [Hillary Care].
So even this ‘weak’ example works — there are major differences between the parties.
The Republicans stopped none of this. Clinton had a Democratic House and Senate for his first two years in office (1993-94), so it was actually Democrats who stopped Hillary Care dead in its tracks.
Maybe the Republicans came up with a good plan in 1994, but that just meant they put the whole idea of "spend-spend-spend out of a recession" on the back burner until the GOP controlled the White House and both Houses of Congress from 2001-06.
The first Federal budget submitted by President George W. Bush (in 2001) was for $2.0 trillion. The last one, submitted in 2008, was for $3.1 trillion -- a 55% increase in Federal spending in just eight years. The Republicans controlled at least one House of Congress for his entire term in office.
Yeah, that GOP sure is the party of fiscal responsibility, isn't it?