I wish he would just go away

Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is one of my least favorite politicians. And because he is a conservative and in such a powerful position, it drives me crazy because he gets so much air-time. And that's not to mention all of the scandal surrounding him. So I really do wish he would just go away.

But when I saw this article in the Washington Times this morning, I nearly lost it. DeLay, responding to questions about the budget in the wake of emergency spending measures for Katrina, had the temerity to say

"My answer to those that want to offset the spending is sure, bring me the offsets, I'll be glad to do it. But nobody has been able to come up with any yet," the Texas Republican told reporters at his weekly briefing. Asked if that meant the government was running at peak efficiency, Mr. DeLay said, "Yes, after 11 years of Republican majority we've pared it down pretty good."

What kind of crack is this guy smoking? Does anyone really believe that the government is operating at peak efficiency? Yeah, I guess we saw that in its response to the hurricane. And I think we're seeing it in every article we read about record budget deficits.

If there's one thing that George Bush and the current crop of Republicans are not, it's fiscal conservatives. They've become what any entrenched majority ultimately becomes: pork-addicted pols who are ultimately more concerned about patronage and sustaining their grip on power than leaders focused on what is best for the country. And the DeLay regime is emblematic of the whole thing. One need only look at the recently passed Energy and Transportation bills, which DeLay presided over, for evidence.

When faced with an emergency spending imperative, like hurricane relief, our leaders should be tightening their belts elsewhere. While the cuts might be difficult or politically challenging, we count on our leaders to make such tough decisions. But the Bush Administration and the Republicans in Congress have demonstrated a maddening penchant for not setting priorities and making tough choices. In the final analysis they basically fund everything and then add a nice layer of cream on top. Unfortunately, the taxpayers will pay the price down the line.