In his State of the Union address tonight, President Bush will abandon the image of a smaller government, less spending conservative and call for new government spending of around nine percent next year.
That in itself isn't bad, because the spending will be on efforts to fight terorism at home and abroad. What I wish the President would do is call for more fiscal responsibility. Citizens against Government Waste has identified about 1.3 trillion in waste, fraud and abuse in government. Why can't the President say that in order for government to be strong and do what it needs to do, waste fraud and abuse must be ended?
Who among us would not endorse such an objective? The President should attack waste, fraud and abuse with some of the zeal he has directed at terrorism. Plenty of money could be saved, the country would be strengthened in more than one way and taxpayers could keep more of what they earn to save, invest and create new jobs.
That's what I'd like to see in tonight's address, but I don't expect I will see it.
