Deficits and Republicans

The blossoming of the Bush budget deficits puts some Republicans in an awkward position. Most Republicans would call themselves “fiscally conservative.” But this can have several different meanings, some of which conflict with each other. Does it mean that you want low taxes, or low deficits? Does it mean that you want to impose limits on spending, or limits on how easy it is to cut taxes when there’s a deficit? Ask two different Republicans and you are likely to get two different answers.

This piece in yesterday’s Chicago Tribune shows that the tensions between different flavors of “fiscally conservative” Republicans are growing. And there’s no easy resolution in sight.

Kash