The Anger of Compassion

Why Conservatives Are No Friends of Liberty, example # 1,368

Over at The Corner this morning, Larry Kudlow writes

On another note, President Bush’s op-ed today in the Wall Street Journal argues that his tax cuts fueled economic growth while simultaneously spurring record tax revenues. The bottom line? The budget deficit has plunged while the economy has soared.

Think of it as the Bush Boom—think of it as another “W” in the win column for supply-side economics and the Laffer Curve.

At lower tax rates, economic behavior responds with more work and greater investment. Our expanding economic pie throws off more tax revenues, even at these lower tax rates.

If Objectivism has its fakes, such as those who defend or even befriend the Brandens, then "fiscal conservatives" have their fakes too: I ask you, when are conservatives going to stop speaking of higher tax revenue as A Good Thing? Such revenue will be used for more No Child Left Behind legislation, more FEC and FCC persecutions and fines, more of everything at the federal level conservatives profess to dislike. So why celebrate more money being made available for such purposes?

More Kudlow:

In his op-ed, Mr. Bush also pledged to clamp down on budget spending and corrupt earmarks. He’s aiming for a balanced budget plan by 2012. (I think it could happen sooner). He asks the Democratic Congress for bipartisan cooperation but if not, he clearly threatens to use his veto pen.

Oh, that's a credible threat.

Actually, though, why should I wonder when we'll stop hearing the "increased tax revenue" argument from conservatives? These are the same folks who've been desperately arguing, all my life, that their candidates represent the lesser of two evils, even as we march to greater and increasing statism. Silly me.

UPDATE That op-ed to which Kudlow refers can be found here. I didn't notice any "threat" to use the "veto pen."

Posted by Craig Ceely at January 3, 2007 11:24 AM