In his new Newsweek column "On K Street Conservatism," George Will takes large chuncks of his party to task for falling in love with big government, apparently not realizing that they never had a problem with spending, just about responsibility.
It is always amusing to watch conservatives eat their own, and Will so demolishes the GOP's remaining credibility that even I can hardly add to it.
George Will fancies himself one of those "principled conservatives," and given that it's no wonder that he seems appalled by the sudden impulse among the GOP toward big government. To whit:
"...Agriculture subsidies increased by %40 while farm income was doubling(emphasis Will's). Conservatives concerned about promiscuous uses of government were apalled when congressional Republicans waded into the Terri Shiavo tragedy..."
Will then goes on to point out the strangeness of a president (Bush) going an entire term without a single veto. He criticized the plan to rebuild New Orleans on the grounds that pork has not been cut in order to offset the cost of the rebuild.
But Will seems actually rather glad that DeLay is going down. while he offers a limp defense of DeLay that even he doesn't seem to totally believe, he then goes on to say:
"The indictments of DeLay....are, considered soley in terms of their consequences, helpful to conservatives. DeLay, who neither knows nor cares any more about limited government than a camel knows or cares of calculus, will probably never return to the house leadership, and indeed may even be voted out of office."
Will then picks a few bones about DeLay's famously abrasive personal style:
"When hammered, people can become flat as veal scallopine, or can become angry." He then goes on to detail how Dennis Hastert was overridden by his own party, who rejected DeLay toadie David Drier in favor of Blunt, whom Will thinks would not step down even if DeLay asked him to.
Will then gets to the heart of the problem, as he sees it:
"DeLay is Exhibit A for the proposition that many Republicans have 'gone native' in Washington. Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) charges that some Republicans 'think big government is good if it's our big government.' DeLay's troubles, and his party's multiply with the coming revelations about the seamy career of superlobbyist Jack Abramoff. He is emblematic of DeLay's faux conservatism - The K Street variety..."
Will once again identifies the problem but in his blind faith to high and mighty "conservatism" misses the point entirely, as usual. Conservatism CREATES corruption, George. You see, the conservative belief in "every man for himself" creates a moral viewpoint where it becomes OK to screw the neighbors as long as you come out ahead. Conservatism is about greed, George. If you want limited government, I'm sure Michael Badnarik can tell you all about his party.
What's the deal with people like George Will, who continue in their delusion that Republicans, deep down, really are classic Buckley-style conservatives despite tremendous and mounting evidence to the contrary?