Future epic tax increases are hardly a new concern. I expect little to be done regardless of which political party wins the election in 2012. I note that the current House minority leader made excuses for growing, record budget deficits in 2003.
...judging by a bill that Congress is taking up Monday, the lasting fiscal legacy of the Bush administration will also include a historic rise in domestic spending that could affect everything from consumer interest rates to a fiscal landscape that could force epic tax increases in future.
The piece Boehner wrote has been taken down from his web site, but remains archived.
... Republicans also are far from being purely conservative. A conservative would like to see the government shrink; a Republican does too, but - in acknowledging political realities (a new defensive posture after September 11th for one) and the multitude of stakeholders in government after years of liberal control - has often had to settle for simply slowing its rate of growth. Republicans have accepted such realities as the burdens of majority governance.
The Republican Party has in recent years, contrary to conservative means - but still consistent with its fundamental tenets - sought to use the power of government for conservative ends.
The end result of this compromise? The Tax Cut and Spend Party.
