[texlok]

How can he grow the government this much??????

I just don't understand. He did a pretty good job in Texas. Is it all payback maybe?

[whadizit]

Adding 30k airport "security" workers to Fed. did not help. New Homeland Security Agency. Need to increase military budget. Illegal aliens now taxpayer pd. medical, dental, educational, etc. Military increase only justified one to me.

[al-andalus]

'I just don't understand. He did a pretty good job in Texas. Is it all payback maybe?'

Payback + politics. He wants a second term, and no politician was ever defeated for handing out too many goodies.

[rightwing2]

Spending on annually funded programs, in inflation-adjusted dollars, rose about 9 percent in the last two years of the Clinton administration and is scheduled to grow nearly 15 percent in the first two years of the Bush administration... after approving last year a substantial increase in education spending -- which has risen nearly 50 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars since 1999.

Well, the jury is out on whether Bush did a good job in Texas. You would know that better than myself. However, we do know that Bush as Governor did raise state government spending by 33% from 1995-1999 during his first five years in office. This is hardly the record of an enemy of Big Government.

[JoeGar]

... the emergence of budget surpluses led directly to the spending growth. "It is really obvious that when there is money around, they will spend it, even if they are Republicans," ...

So true. Remember Lott putting into the budget ships the Navy didn't want? Remember Gingrich putting into the budget airplanes the Air Force didn't want? Now Bush is doing stuff like trying to get taxpayers to assume payment of steelworker pensions instead of having steel companies fulfill their obligation. The sad truth is that nobody in Washington cares for the nation's financial health. Vote-buying for re-election is their only concern. A pox on them all!

[B. A. Conservative]

"I just don't understand. He did a pretty good job in Texas."

That is a popular myth. He surrendered to the Democrats on every important issue. Even his so-called "largest tax-cut in TX history" was an illusion. The appraisal districts inflated valuation and localities accepted larger tax burdens in exchange for higher local rates. Under Bush, total tax takes by governments in Texas increased. There was no tax cut for tax payers. Same old recycled crap peddled by the Democrats, we had a decrease in the rate of the increase and they called it a tax cut. Read my lips, "Bush is not a conservative." Bush makes noises like a conservative, and then enlarges government and takes away liberties.

The only reason to even consider cutting Bush some slack, is competence. Not his; his cabinet's. Bush has assembled and extremely capable cabinet. Over time this cabinet could end up giving him a present of a great Presidency. I still think Bush, et al should have a tremendous shock and great awakening. I would consider a serious defeat in the off year elections just the right medicine to focus his cabinet, advisors and Congress on the 2004 elections. Repeating 1994 combined the current administration could do wonders for America. Without a 2x4 between the eyes, I don't think we are going to change the administration's focus or that of Congressional Republicans. Losing control of Congress to the Democrats is risky, but I think it poses less risk than the path we are on.