[Sabertooth]

Reagan signed just as many spending bills that brought the budget into huge deficits and Reagan didn't have a war to contend with.

Well remember, Reagan did have the Cold War, which was a lot more expensive than the War on Terror has been thus far.

Like Reagan, Bush has a divided Congress, so the Democrats still have a lot of leverage on spending. One reason I'd like to see the GOP hold the House and take the Senate (aside from the sheer novelty of it!) while holding the White House is that the Republicans will finally have to put up or shut up. Other than the occasional filibusters, they'll have an opportunity to pass and implement an agenda that will hopefully be a constructive change from what's gone on the past 50 years expanding government.

[marajade]

"Well remember, Reagan did have the Cold War, which was a lot more expensive than the War on Terror has been thus far."

I'd like to see some stats... I've heard going into Iraq could be as much as 200 bil... That's a lot of dough...

[carenot]

Like Reagan, Bush has a divided Congress, so the Democrats still have a lot of leverage on spending. One reason I'd like to see the GOP hold the House and take the Senate (aside from the sheer novelty of it!) while holding the White House is that the Republicans will finally have to put up or shut up.

Well, didn't they have the House and the Senate? I am thinking 1994. Then 1996 they lost a lot. They still had control.

I am wondering why a President has to have both the House and Senate?

Maybe being President just has the perks. Being President just means you get your name in books.

[toenail]

"One reason I'd like to see the GOP hold the House and take the Senate (aside from the sheer novelty of it!) while holding the White House is that the Republicans will finally have to put up or shut up."

Won't happen. They'll just lurch leftward as a pre-emptive strike against the ever-present upcoming elections. They'll cave. Look at Republicans' faux pro-life advocacy -- 82% of Americans oppose 99% of all abortions, and if that isn't a mandate, nothing is. They'll cave. Here's to a GOP trifecta, not that it'll do any good.