Luetkemeyer Says He Was "Shocked" By "Irresponsible Spending" Of GOP Congress

In a new column for the Missourian, Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-St. Elizabeth) says he "was shocked" as a freshman Congressman" when he "saw firsthand the path of irresponsible spending that Congress had previously been engaged in." 

As state Sen. Chuck Purgason and others have been pointing out in their challenges to the GOP establishment, George W. Bush and the GOP leadership in Congress "turned a thirty billion dollar deficit into a $566 billion deficit by 2006."  To be sure, Republicans have been railing against programs proposed by Democrats as well (even when the actually reduce the deficit).  But as Luetkemeyer notes, the hypocrisy of Republicans who have only recently become interested in balanced budgets and responsible fiscal policy is quite shocking.

Read Luetkemeyer's full column here.  For a follow-up column, it would be great for Luetkemeyer and any other supporters of a balanced budget amendment to provide a more detailed explanation of what they'd do to generate new revenue or cut spending -- name programs, explained what they'd tax, etc.  Budgets don't get balanced with hot air, after all.