A Boston Tea Party …(A Bridge To Somewhere)

The bridge in Ketchikan, Alaska costing $152 million remains in existence. The bridge connecting 5,000 people to an island of 50 people was kept in a bill the senate passed by a margin of 85 to 15. Senator Tom Coburn, one of maybe 5 Republican Senators with an ounce of fiscal conservatism, argued to limit spending with removal of this bridge from the bill. Alaskan Republican Senator Ted Stevens responded by saying he would resign if the bridge were removed from the spending bill.

Remember when Democrats would try to scare voters during campaigns that Republicans were going to shrink the size of government. Democrats would warn potential voters their programs of support were going to be eliminated by the evil Republican Party. I guess that argument is down the tubes. Any potential new Republican candidate for the 2008 election will be laughed at when running on the ideal of smaller government. While his/her will for it may be valid, it is the Republican leadership who will make living up to those promises impossible.

Yesterday the President gave a speech on fiscal responsibility. He said the shrinking the deficit is still possible. Is it? Will he lead? Does he have the leadership to convince his own party to come to their fiscal senses? Will he veto a spending bill? The “Bridge to Nowhere” is now a “Bridge to Somewhere”. I only hope a small select few of fiscally responsible Republican members of the House of Representatives will eliminate such blatant pork in conference hearings but all bets are off.