I’ll use this article as the preface to my mini-rant about the GOP and deficits. Kevin Drum talks about an article by Charles Krauthammer. As Drum says, Mr. K is the type of small-government conservative who’s only interested in keeping government small on the things he doesn’t like. He’s plenty OK with government that he “gets a kick out of.” Krauthammer’s focus is the end of the Space Shuttle program. I’m generally with him – I think it’s something we shouldn’t be giving up on. But then again, I’m not one who pretends that shrinking the deficit should be our number one priority as a country. I think Drum’s question to Krauthammer should be asked of many a supposed small government conservative – would you “agree to raise taxes on the wealthy in order to do it?”
This leads me to my rant, which I’ve mentioned in other places on-line. If you think the deficit is the number one problem and should get the lion’s share of our policy focus, you should support increasing revenue in the country. If you don’t support raising taxes, then you are like Mr. Krauthammer (and GWB) only interested in shrinking the parts of the government you don’t like. If you’re not willing to take some pain in the form of higher taxes that will be necessary for more revenues or even to advocate cuts to programs that you actually support, then you’re not a deficit hawk. You’re just a conservative, partisan or ideologue.