Republicans, after years of screaming during Obama's presidency that sky will fall if the budget deficit isn't closed, are suddenly quite happy to let it balloon with tax cuts and spending increases. If the Democrats are a "tax and spend" party, Republicans have become the "don't tax and but still spend" party, ironically making the Democrats look more fiscally responsible. So much for the down-home kitchen table family budgeting Republicans were so keen to apply in Washington a decade ago.
What explains this about-face. There seem at least two plausible theories. The first is caving to Trump. He has taken such a firm grip on the Republicans base and is completely ruthless in exploiting that for his own ends that Republican law makers are terrified of being destroyed by a Trump tirade; their job security suddenly takes precedent over their erstwhile principles.
There is, however, another possible explanation; that they were never really serious about fiscal rectitude - it was simply a political device with which to attack the Democrats and Obama. Indeed it is plausible that Republicans are simply all about power and not principle. One has only to look at the willful ignoring of the violations of family values Trump represents to realize that its not just their position in budget debate that was a sham. And their pathetic defense that "Trump isn't someone I'd hang out with but he's getting the job done", is testimony to their shameless "the end justifies the means" philosophy.
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