First, the rhetoric:
President Obama has taken office with the promise that he will transcend old divisions. Whether he’s successful may depend partly on House Minority Leader John Boehner, who has pledged that Republicans will not be the “party of ‘no.’ ” But that doesn’t mean he agrees with Democrats on every issue.
(…)
Asked whether the president is correct in saying that the long-running debating over big vs. small government is over, Boehner told NPR’s Steve Inskeep, “I’m not sure that anyone knows exactly what he was trying to say.
“Clearly, in our society, there is a role for government. And by and large, liberals tend to believe that government’s the answer for almost anything,” Boehner said. “I and most Republicans believe that a smaller, less costly government gives us a healthier economy and a healthier society.”
Now, the reality:
As I said elsewhere recently, the GOP’s biggest problem going forward will be living down the last eight years and the lack of fiscal conservatism.
Quite honestly, I am one of many people out there who just don’t believe the Congressional Republican leadership when they claim to have seen the light when it comes to restraining spending and the growth of government, and they have only but themselves to blame for that.
H/T: David Boaz
Sounds too familiar. My Congresscritter, Paul Ryan, suddenly rediscovered his spine in time for a meaningless vote against sending out the other half of the bailout he first opposed then rolled all the way over on.
[...] as I said recently: [T]he GOP’s biggest problem going forward will be living down the last eight years and the lack [...]