Bush Was a Big-Government Disaster

by Nick Gillespie - January 24th, 2009 - Wall Street Journal

In a way that was inconceivable when he took office, Mr. Bush -- the advance man for the "ownership society," smaller and more trustworthy government, and a humble foreign policy -- increased the size and scope of the federal government to unprecedented levels. At the same time, he constantly flashed signs of secrecy, duplicity, ineffectiveness and outright incompetence.

Think for a moment about the thousands of Transportation Security Administration screeners -- newly minted government employees all -- who continue to confiscate contact-lens solution and nail clippers while, according to nearly every field test, somehow failing to notice simulated bombs in passenger luggage.

Ah yes, how often we forget Bush's Buffoons. Is there any more significant example of the obnoxious power of government goons than these useless bureaucrats? They waste vast hours of effort accomplishing the goal of safety because their role is assumed to be not doable by intelligent use of inspections. Oh no! We can't inspect one person who is possibly an enemy, unless we inspect thousands that no one would believe are possible enemies. 5 kids with their mother are just as likely to be Islamo-fascist terrorists as a 20 year old Arabic looking male acting suspiciously. Really? We have to be STUPID seems to be the government rule.

No matter what he did well, no one can possibly assume that on balance Bush was a President who cared about freedom.