Matthew Miller Misses The Point

Media assist Republicans' honesty deficit

Matthew Miller is right to criticize Republicans for cutting taxes but not reducing federal spending. But he is wrong in thinking Democrats will ride to the rescue and balance the budget.

True, the Republican Medicare overhaul is obscene, passing its costs on to millions who have not yet been born.

But the Democratic plan was 70% more expensive.

Certainly, the horrid Farm Bill was an expensive waste of money. But it passed along party lines, over the objections of Republicans, with largely Democratic support.

Whether the issue is education, health care, the environment, homeland security or economic stimulus, the Democrats want to spend more money then their Republican counterparts. And of course, they destroyed any hope of Social Security reform, willfully ignoring the fact that this program is headed off a demographic cliff.

Some choice the fiscal conservatives have: bad versus worse.

Clearly, “small government” Republicans have a credibility problem.

The Democrats, though, are in no position to take advantage of it.

- posted by total @ 8/13/2003 05:38:00 AM .