Better Late Than Never

President Barack Obama dismisses calls to scale back his massive plan to grow the government by asserting that Republicans are repeating the same old rhetoric.

Here's the difference. President George Bush did not govern as a fiscal conservative. He failed to veto one porker after the next. (The highway bill and the energy bill spring to mind as particularly egregious examples.)

Congressional Republicans went along for the spending spree, but it's hard to exercise discipline when daddy says you don't have to do your chores. Consequently, Republicans lost the trust of a sizable portion of the electorate. Having failed to govern like conservatives, Republicans watched our numbers erode -- the logical consequence of abandoning our principles.

It is therefore heartening to hear Congressional Republicans say "enough" to Obama's $3.55 trillion budget.

Reuters quotes Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell:

"I have serious concerns with this budget, which demands hard-working American families and job creators turn over more of their hard-earned money to the government to pay for unprecedented spending increases."

Likewise for other key Republicans:

"I think we just ought to admit we're broke. We can't continue to pile debt on the backs of our kids and grandkids," said House Republican Leader John Boehner.

Senator Judd Gregg, who recently withdrew as Obama's nominee to head the Commerce Department, citing differences over policy, offered a stinging rebuke of the president's budget plan.

"The budget outline shows a half-hearted attempt to reduce the trillion-dollar deficits we face, largely through more tax hikes that will only hurt the economy, when it should take this opportunity to exercise aggressive spending restraint," said Gregg, the top Republican on the Budget Committee.

And how great is it to have Gregg in the Senate! If Obama wants to raid any more Republicans for his cabinet, may we suggest Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins or Arlen Specter?