Do Republicans have any credibility when they claim to be the party of fiscal responsibility?

[The Craw]

It's interesting how Republicans oppose any federal programs that help people, be it national health coverage, funding for public schools, care for the vets, etc- yet they see *nothing* wrong with the total absence of accountability in the billion of dollars being poured into the war in Iraq.
The Republicans still claim the Democrats are fiscally irresponsible, and the Republicans stand for fiscal responsibility.

Republican opponents of Obama slam him as a 'tax and spend liberal'.

Looking back at GW Bush, GHW Bush, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon- were any of these Republicans fiscally responsible?

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. No. They squandered it, like they do everything else.

[last1standing]

2. They never have and never will.

The problem is that perception trumps reality every time. Mcsame currently leads Obama in polls regarding taxes because the perception is that Obama will raise everyone's taxes even though his plan actually calls for greater reductions than mcsame's plan for all but the well off.

The question is how can we change that perception if bush's* reign hasn't done it. :shrug:

[goodgd_yall]

3. I'd like to think that reputation for fiscal responsibility

will be buried forever, but I don't think it will.

[texpatriot2004]

4. The * Admin is NEOCON not Republican in the true sense of

small government and fiscal responsibility. IMO I would say going back to Reagan/Bush I they are not fiscally conservative. Furthermore some of the same plagues of the * Administration and their methods can be traced back to Reagan/Bush I; for instance, Iran Contra.

Also, I think it is extremely ignorant of people now to use the phrase "tax and spend liberal" because it is not applicable to the current times. It may once have been applicable, um, say 20 years ago but to repeat the outdated phrase as if it applies to current times just shows how little thought these people put into informing themselves now. Many people prefer to repeat outdated one liners then to thoughtfully participate in the current political dialogue. That is quite maddening and quite sad.

Last of all, this * Administration is the biggest government I have seen in my lifetime and CLEARLY not fiscally conservative or responsible. It is obvious to me, a life long Democrat, that these are not the Republicans of days gone by.