Open season on spending

The Patriot Post

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) recently opined that the country could never afford all of her ideas should she—heaven forbid—be elected President. Indeed, it is estimated that ideas (from healthcare to college-tuition subsidies) floated by the various Socialist, er, Democrat candidates for president could cost about $700 billion over four years and raise top tax rates to 50 percent or more. That would put the tax burden for Americans at seventh in the developed world, up from 21st, according to the Tax Foundation. The worst part is, all Democrats have to do is let President Bush’s tax cuts expire for a large portion of this economic nightmare to become reality.

Meanwhile, after nearly a year in control of Congress, Democrat leaders in the House and Senate don’t have much to show for their “leadership.” They cry that President Bush is standing in the way of their high-priced legislation. President Bush, for his part, seems to have suddenly found his backbone when it comes to slowing spending. As Democrats have repeatedly passed bills for billions more than requested, the President has issued several vetoes, including his most recent one that killed a $606-billion bill funding education, health and labor programs, as usual, loaded with pork. He’s insisting that spending bills get to his desk one at a time and not be over budget. It’s too bad that the President didn’t play hardball when his own GOP was spending money hand over fist, but better late than never. As we move closer to the presidential election, his newfound fiscal discipline will be fresh in the voters’ minds, offering a stark contrast to the tax-and-spend liberals who seek to redistribute our hard-earned income.