GOP: The new big government party.

"At $286.4 billion, the highway bill just passed by Congress is the most expensive public works legislation in U.S. history. In addition to funding the interstate highway system and other federal transportation programs, it sets a new record for pork-barrel spending, earmarking $24 billion for a staggering 6,376 pet projects, spread among virtually every congressional district in the land. The enormous bill -- 1,752 pages long -- wasn't made available for public inspection until just before it was brought to a vote, and so, as The New York Times noted, 'it is safe to bet that none of the lawmakers, not even the main authors, had read the entire package.' That didn't stop them from voting for it all but unanimously -- 412 to 8 in the House, 91 to 4 in the Senate. ... When [George W.] Bush ran for president in 2000, he described his Democrat opponent, Vice President Al Gore, as a reckless high-roller who would unbalance the federal budget. ... Five years later, what is over is the GOP reputation for fiscal sobriety. Republicans today are simply the other big-government party -- just as capable of squandering public funds, and just as eager to fill barrels with pork, as their fellow-spendthrifts across the aisle."

Jeff Jacoby