Conservatives - NOT RINOs - make the party great. The more RINOs in government, the worse it becomes.
I think the problem is that the electorate expects more services and sees it as somebody else picking up the tab. While some folks are vehement against welfare, for example, they like programs that benefit them - and don't see it as welfare.
The GOP is just giving people what they want.
You think that with the "dot-com" bust, the DJ nosedive, a full blown recession, Enron and WorldCom, the attack of 9/11, the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina and the ten(?) other hurricanes since 2000 to hit, along with higher energy prices, that we might forgive the Repubs for not forcing budget cuts?
You know Delay is an honest guy, and he said they did the best they could. In the house, if you don't get local projects, you don't get re-elected.
It's not that bad when you look at the rise in discretionary spending compared to GDP. The majority is defense spending.
http://www.cbo.gov/budget/historical.pdf#search=%22cbo%20historical%20budget%20%22
Ping (Big Government/Nanny State)