Free Republic

Many conservatives thought last month's selection of John Boehner as House Majority Leader was a sign that the Republican caucus is prepared to change its spending habits. Though most in the conservative crowd preferred John Shadegg, Boehner's promise to hold the line on "earmarks" satisfied many conservatives that the vote was a step in the right direction. However, restraining discretionary spending has been, since the election of Reagan, a "one step forward, two steps back" sort of progress for the GOP. Despite their allegiance to the principle of limited government, Republicans members have never changed how Congress spends money.Why have...

In the last five years, the federal budget has done a good impression of major league sluggers, bulking up to such frightful proportions as to be almost unrecognizable. Baseball responded to the excess girth by cracking down on steroids. President Bush, however, wants to try stomach stapling. This week, he urged Congress to give him a line-item veto so he can "reduce wasteful spending."In reality, he's about as likely to cut spending as he is to give the next State of the Union address in Aramaic. Since he took office in 2001, federal outlays have increased by $845 billion a...