therein lies the problem. It turns out that the republicans didn't stand for smaller government, just less taxes. They had 8 years to shrink government and just shuffled the deck chairs. If they had actually shrunk the government, they wouldn't have run up the deficits that the democrats are now quadrupling. At least the democrats are more transparent. We knew they would try and grow government and take over various aspects of our lives and raise taxes, and that's what they are doing. So while I dislike it, at least I'm not disappointed.
I think you are correct when you say the GOP didn't shrink the government, just lower taxes. And the two must go hand in hand. For me, I'd like to see the size & scope of the feds drop greatly.
Our government has ceased to work in the best interests of the majority. And this why there is in-fighting on both sides of the aisle. Why did it take a party with a filibuster proof majority over a year to pass a healthcare entitlement bill that then needed a follow on bill to address the problems with original bill? There was only one provision in that bill that helped the middle class, the majority of people, and that was the part about not excluding preexisting conditions. The rest is a giveaway and didn't address the fundamental problem, which is that there is a growing percentage of people who are not equipped to find decent jobs, and there are not enough decent jobs to provide people with the ability to afford healthcare. They didn't even address the structural issues of the cost of becoming and being a doctor, which drive the rates up as much as anything. All the democrats have done is make healthcare unaffordable for a slightly larger percentage of people and tax the rich to provide the subsidies to pay for them.
Because neither the Democrats nor the Republicans wanted to pass the healthcare bill. It was easier and safer for the Democrats to go back to their constituents and say, "We wanted to give you health care reform but the evil Republicans wouldn't let us. Give us money and votes so we can defeat them next election." Finally Obama grew a set and forced the Democrats to actually do something.
