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1. When it comes to much government spending, Bush is not leading. Bush is letting. He lets Congress spends what it wants to spend. Congress writes the bills taxpayers must pay. Bush can try to set spending agendas. His adminstration can spend money allocated for different purposes. But Congress ultimately holds the purse strings. No veto could stop what Congress would want to spend if it decided to spend it.

   I think Bush has shown leadership in the mostly now forgotten debate over how to salvage Social Security and Medicare. The bills will come due soon. Congress will not want to pay back the Treasury bills in the Social Security trust fund once the so-called surplus dries up in 2018 or shortly thereafter. When retirees show up at the gates of the city, hats in hand, our taxes will go up to restore a surplus (which Congress will continue to borrow), or Congress will suddenly and sorrowly say they had no idea (really!) that Social Security finances were so bad, and they are so sorry, but benefits will need to be cut, and please move in with your children, old folks. The coming deficits in Social Security and Medicare dwarf rising discretionary spending, which is what the bulk of highway spending is.

   Michael Rew | Sep 27, 2005 | Reply

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