Some Republicans Have Lost Their Way

The growing Abramoff scandal and other issues such as massive spending has effected both parties and will continue to in at least the near term.

Good.

The Republicans have been in power for quite awhile now, an ascension that was the direct result of their promise of smaller government as well as tax and spending cuts. We got one of those things, a series of tax cuts.

We now have a deficit that is in excess of $4-billion, projected upward yesterday. Now, I know that the twin slaps from Katrina and Rita as well as the continuing War on Terror are part of the reason and that you can't plan for the destruction of an entire city when developing a budget.

Anyway, the Republicans who were elected on a platform of spending decreases and lower taxes aren't living up to their end of the bargain. They were elcted in most cases as fiscal conservatives if not full on paleocons.

It's time to say enough! If the incumbent Republicans wish to get fat, dumb and elected, I'm here to say it ain't gonna happen. Republican voters--and I'm not talking the Christian Conservatives, but secular Republicans--wield a mightier club than do the Evangelicals and other religious groups. The Christian right will either vote Republican or stay home, while the secular Republicans will vote for any candidate who proves that he will reduce taxes or decrease the size of government. That candidate may be a conservative Democrat or even a Libertarian.

James Taranto sums this up nicely today:

We've heard a lot about the problems of congressional Republicans, in terms of both corruption and ideological drift away from the small-government philosophy that brought the party to power in 1994. There is much validity to these criticisms. Power corrupts.

Indeed it does. He continues:

Gore, however, exemplifies how powerlessness also corrupts: by producing paranoia, persecution fantasies and a generally irresponsible politics. Republicans ought to pay a price for their shortcomings, but given the choice between Democratic paranoia and Republican profligacy, voters very well may decide that the latter is the lesser evil.

That part I don't necessarily agree with. Swuing voters are the toughest group to pinpoint and gave Bush another four years because we are in a war that the American public knows will take years. That does not mean that they will side with incumbent members of congress.

That leaves the secular Republicans, the people who have supported Bush because of the aforementioned war and will continue to do so. We draw the line at free-spending senators and representatives who have taken us for granted.

Well, no more. I see the blogosphere exposing the Republicans as well as the donks who choose to spend on pork barrel projects and take money from special interests.

If the blogosphere really takes up the cause, it could mean bad things for incumbents of both parties. It's starting to happen everywhere you look on the right and center side and will be a major issue come November unless the greedy bastards in DC don't take notice pronto.