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Time doesn't allow a line-by-line laughfest at Wm Kristol's latest public declaration of delusional hubris, set forth in his today's NYT column. That's for anyone with some sturdy waders who wishes to slog through Kristol's disjointed ramble through Right Wing screeching points. I'll just note a few of his chuckleheaded burblings and let it go at that.
Let's start with Kristol's tired canard of "big-government liberalism". Funny little fact (according to a former CATO Instituter: "...[I]t doesn’t much matter whether Democrats or Republicans are in sole charge: 3.3% government growth under Democrats vs. 3.6% under Republicans." See this.
Continued...
"Since 2001, even with record low inflation, U.S. federal spending has increased by a massive 28.8% (19.7% in real dollars)—with non-defense discretionary growth of 35.7% (25.3% in real dollars)—the highest rate of federal government growth since the presidencies of Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson. This increase has resulted in the largest budget deficits in U.S. history, an estimated $520 billion in fiscal year 2004 alone. Furthermore, the projected spending for 2005 is a conservative estimate, since it doesn’t include at least $50 billion for the 2005 cost of the Iraq occupation."
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Bottom line: with a Right Wing Republican President and Right Wing Rubber Stamp Congress from Inauguration Day 2001-January 2006, Gummint Bloated-up Real Good. So, Kristol, STFU re: "big-government liberalism".
Kristol continues on for a few paragraphs lurching from one "big spending" windmill to another, then goes on to declare: "...if you’re against big government, you’ll oppose a huge public works stimulus package."
Oh, tell that to Republican Governors, like Vermont's Jim Douglas:
"Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R), NGA vice chairman, said he, too, is concerned about the rise in the federal budget deficit, but said deficit spending is necessary during a recession. 'We can’t make progress against that debt during a time of crisis,' he told reporters."
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Yeh, I'm sure all those Republican Governors and Senators and House Members are going to tell Obama: "No, just keep the money. We'll do fine on our own, thankyouverymuch."
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Kristol also conveniently ignores -- or never noticed in the first place -- the Bush/Republican proclivity to appoint incompetent -- but ideologically pure -- dunderheads and criminals to important government posts. To the ideologically pure Kristol, the argument goes something like: "Why appoint 1 competent liberal to a government post, when you can appoint 3 incompetent Republicans."
What a freaky world he lives in. What a shame it's too often imposed on the rest of us.
bg
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