I just happened again... same yesterday.

Same here...

Some perspective from a "small L" Libertarian...

Sorry Holly... the Republicans have had control of Congress since 1995 and could have lessened the damage with more strict fiscal responsibility but they were drunk with power and they nominated a fiscal "moderate" for the presidency in 2000 (AKA "W").

During George Bush's 2000 presidential campaign he committed to "overhaul Medicare, Social Security and public education." He worked hard to fulfill those promises throughout his terms but was significantly side-tracked by 9/11)...

The expansion of "Head Start", "Title I" and "No Child Left Behind" wasn't cheap AND the Medicare Rx Bill of 2003 massively increased the annual deficit (albeit many fiscal conservatives voted "nay" and the bill narrowly passed the House with the opposing Conservatives joined by the "huge government Liberals" that wanted a bigger bill e.g. mo' deficit).

If you combine that with Phil Gramm's 1999 legislation (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act) that enabled credit default swaps.....

....and George Bush's goal of expanding minority home ownership (see speech given at George Washington University in 2002) by reducing the restrictions to receive a loan. There was some "socialism" going on there.

In summary, Republicans screwed up and need to pay some penance.

"You post party line drivel." You had me until that line. In my opinion, Mr. Ridley is expressing a legitimate opposition point without the drivel (save the gratuitous shot). Although I disagree with it, his overall point would have never been presented this way from the current Democrat leaders (e.g. hyper-partisan).

All the fiscal conservatives I know were livid GWB didn't veto the spending bills in his 1st 6 years (not to mention ridiculous bills such as McCain-Feingold)... but the reality is, the largest budget/deficit hit was the Medicare Rx bill AND THE DEMOCRATS WANTED A BIGGER PACKAGE! Add to that the massive expansion of the Dept of Education and viola, GWB gets invited to an NPR cocktail party.

But the critique and disapproval from the Conservatives shows which party is interested in self-analysis and remediation. When is the last real debate you've heard between two Liberals about their own failed policies and how they need to improve upon them?

The only retort you get from Liberals is "look what the Republicans did."