Bob Barr?

[Xavier_Onassis]

McCain fancies himself a "Maverick," when he fells like it. But apparently he expects Republicans (for example North Carolinians) to do as he says or be labeled out of touch wackos.

I dislike that ... a lot.
============================================================
Remember that McCain is a military guy. The officer can be a Maverick. The voters are like enlisted men, and should do as the officers tell them.

Grumble away, Gomer, but peel them spuds or forget about a leave next weekend.

[Rich]

>>You don't demand uniformity of opinion from Republicans do you?<<

That's a fair question.

No, I don't. I do demand adherence to core principles of the party. McCain has gone way off the path on some of the central ideals of Conservatism. Which is his absolute right. He seems to enjoy playing the maverick. The problem is demanding that others do as he says, not as he does, is exceedingly egotistical and just plane wrong. If he can do his own thing, he should shut up and let others do there's.

[sirs]

Chris Wallace absolutely declothed Obama with his questions regarding Obama's so-called ability to "work with the other side".  When Bush took office, Conservatives knew Bush was no hard line Conservative, and often worked with Democrats on policy decisions.  McCain is even more of a "Maverick", often running contrary to normal GOP policies and principles.  Wallace asked Obama for examples of where he supposedly had worked with Republicans, where he had bucked his party's platform to "reach across" in order to help bring about compromise.

Obama was shown to be just your standard hard line liberal, with not a shred of demonstrating any sense of reaching out to the other party.  Very impressive questioning, indeed.  It's no wonder Hillary refuses to do the same

[Rich]

Mrs. Clinton sat still for Bill O'Reilly the other day. I have to give her credit for that.

Obama has yet to grow the balls Mrs. Clinton has.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Small government 'conservatism' is dead. It died when the public rejected Bob Dole. And it isn't likely to come back for a long, long time.

No US president has managed to shrink government. Jimmy Carter did probably as much as anyone, with his 'zero-based' budgeting.

[Amianthus]

No US president has managed to shrink government.

Teddy Roosevelt. Outlays went from $525M to $485M in his first budget year.

Warren Harding. Outlays went from $5,062M to $2,908M in his four budget years.

Harry Truman. Outlays went from $92,569M to $65,956M in his two terms.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Teddy Roosevelt. Outlays went from $525M to $485M in his first budget year.

Warren Harding. Outlays went from $5,062M to $2,908M in his four budget years.

Harry Truman. Outlays went from $92,569M to $65,956M in his two terms.

=====================================================
T. Roosevelt's term followed the Spanish-American War. (1898-1899)
------------------
Harding's term followed WWI. (1917-late 1918)
--------------------------------
Truman's followed WWII. (1945-1950)

If you subtract the funding for the military, I think you will find that that the rest of the government did not shrink.

Note that Reagan and Olebush, despite their smaller government ideology, did not put it into practice, and neither will McCain.

Maybe CU4 will manage this, if he manages unite with another Christian or two...

[sirs]

Note that Reagan and Olebush, despite their smaller government ideology, did not put it into practice, and neither will McCain.

Especially if the pursetrings are controlled by a Democrat majority House

[fatman]

Especially if the pursetrings are controlled by a Democrat majority House

I don't recall the Republicans doing such a fine job of it the last time around either.  They both love to spend other people's money.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Especially if the pursetrings are controlled by a Democrat majority House

I don't recall the Republicans doing such a fine job of it the last time around either.  They both love to spend other people's money.
   
==============================================
Both parties have the same two ideas:
(1) spending more money than you have is bad, but necessary just this time.
(2) blaming the other party is always best. Unless you have a majority in the House, 60% of the Senate, and the White House, you can always blame the other party.

There are advantages to a parliamentary system, and this is one of them: it is much harder to blame the other side.

[sirs]

Especially if the pursetrings are controlled by a Democrat majority House

I don't recall the Republicans doing such a fine job of it the last time around either.  They both love to spend other people's money.

Now of course, you never saw anywhere where I said they did.  It's been a FREQUENT condemnation of mine.  Fact is, we haven't had a fiscally responsible congress since Newt.  We haven't had a fiscally responsible Dem party since.......maybe Ami knows the answer

[Xavier_Onassis]

Fact is, we haven't had a fiscally responsible congress since Newt.

======================================
Newt was 'financially responsible' by shutting down the government?

He didn't balance the budget, did he?

How much did Whitewater actually cost? What did we get for all that money except entertainment on the nightly news?

[sirs]

Fact is, we haven't had a fiscally responsible congress since Newt.
======================================
Newt was 'financially responsible' by shutting down the government?

Close....he (and the GOP led House of Representatives) were financially responsible for FINALLY getting congress to spend less than what they took in.  The way we're ALL supposed to budget.  The GOP's budgets brought back fiscal discipline and a balanced budget, despite Clinton's Budget proposals that had no end in sight to deficit spending

He didn't balance the budget, did he?

Ummm, yea, they did, passed the first balanced budget in a generation in fact.  They also passed the first tax cut in sixteen years, & Welfare Reform

[Xavier_Onassis]

And yet, despite this unprecedented heroic action, Gingrich was despised by nearly everyone and thrown out by his own party: out of the leadership and out of the House.

[Rich]

You really do live in an alternate reality.