The Era of Big Government has returned
Bill Clinton pronounced it dead.
George W. Bush may bring it back in his speech tonight.
Will wonders never cease?
Maybe Bush didn't know which way the wind was blowing when Katrina was loading up to bash Florida and the Gulf Coast three weeks ago.
But he can feel it now.
In the wake of a horrendous hurricane, Americans are demanding more from their federal government.
If the Bush administration holds back, Republicans are toast in the 2006 and 2008 elections.
If he doesn't bring back big government, the next President Clinton will.
As always in this country, we'll overreact. The federal government will give itself greater powers to take over functions once left to state and local governments. It will further inflate the Department of Homeland Security and its various agencies, especially FEMA, probably making it more cumbersome and even less efficient. And, it will spend, spend, spend. Bush will promise massive federal aid to rebuild New Orleans on a grand scale -- when common sense dictates that the new N.O. should be much smaller than the old.
The big question: Will Bush announce a rollback in tax cuts?
Politically, that might be possible.
But remember, people and businesses struggling to get back on their feet along the Gulf Coast will be subject to the same taxes as everyone else, except for whatever special breaks can be worked out.
Still, you can't pay for Big Government on credit forever. And Bush is approaching his limit.
If he's going to be a Big Spender -- and he is -- sooner or later, he's going to become a Big Taxer, too.
Comments (3)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
Bush 43 seems to do the opposite of 41 in some respects.
Compare the decision to go to Iraq with considerably less international support than daddy or even the fact that Rumsfeld and Bush 41 were not exactly sweethearts.
It would be interesting is 43 raises income taxes like 41 (the bravest decision of 41's presidency), too.
Posted on September 16, 2005 4:56 PM
Bush 41 left office with an economy that was starting to strengthen and relative stability in the Middle East with the U.S. enjoying some credit for leading the liberation of Kuwait, containing Saddam and improving relations with other Arab states.
Bush 43 -- without regard to how and why some of these things happened -- likely will leave office in January 2009 with a mess in Iraq, Middle East instability and a shaky economy with massive deficits, a persistent energy crisis and a still shaky Gulf Coast region.
And that's hoping there's not another big terrorist attack between now and then.
Maybe I'm being to pessimistic. I'd like to see rapid revitalization of the Gulf Coast drive a resurgent U.S. economy, shrinking deficits, and a strong emerging democracy in Iraq as well as growing security forces that finally put down the terrorists and allow a total U.S. withdrawl.
If that happens, Bush 43 might look pretty good to future historians.
Posted on September 16, 2005 5:10 PM
You flesh out many of the reasons that 41 is generally well regarded by partisans of the two major parties, and obviously 43 is not.
I agree with you that this might be Bush's last chance to imrpove his standing with historians and citizens (and fulfill his promise of compassionate conservatism).
Posted on September 16, 2005 5:43 PM