Can’t have it both ways

No sooner had U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced a plan to cut the $700 billion military budget than congressmen and senators of both parties started grumbling.

The cuts being discussed represent only a tiny fraction of defense spending, but since most of the cuts would be to private contractors, the howling has begun.

The whole thing has to be especially embarrassing for conservatives. For decades they have opposed virtually any tax hike and favored virtually any tax cut, always preaching that government should be cut.

Now that the chips are down, we find many of them opposing a reduction in some of the most out-of-control spending because they are looking out for their districts. The same kind of double-thinking marked the BP oil spill crisis. Some of the biggest critics of Big Government demanded a bigger government response and even seemed to defend BP at times.

You can’t have it both ways. If you want to cut government, you have to live with the pain. If you don’t want the pain, then stop harping about the size and cost of government.