GOP blew up budget themselves

Today's column by Cynthia Tucker is a must-read:

It would be easier to take Republicans seriously on government spending now if they’d ever complained about spending during the tenure of President George W. Bush — especially during the six years when they controlled government and could have cut spending dramatically. They could have fought the Pentagon on expensive and unnecessary weapons, eliminated farm subsidies to wealthy growers and pared back Medicare.

Instead, they did just the opposite. They slashed taxes and substantially increased government spending, burning through the estimated $800 billion annual surplus the federal government had accumulated under Bill Clinton. The Republican-dominated Congress even passed a huge entitlement, the fiscally foolish prescription drug plan for the elderly.

...with Republicans trying to reclaim the mantle of fiscal conservatism, they ought to have something important to contribute to the debate. They don’t. The plan introduced by House Republicans, which they claim would save $75 billion a year, has specific spending cuts amounting to only about $5 billion. During the March budget debate, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) slammed “earmarks,” but Republicans grabbed a substantial portion of them for their districts.