Talent Pork-Busted

When the political blog of the Kansas City Star asked Missouri's U.S. Senate candidates their views on earmarks, Republican Jim Talent defended the practice, while Democrat Claire McCaskill called for spending restraint.

If Republicans lose the Senate, many will blame Iraq, others will point the finger at social conservatives who allegedly pushed the party to the right (though one might notice that in Tennessee Harold Ford is trying to win by trying to pass himself off as a social conservative). While those have been factors, one should not estimate the detrimental impact of Republican leaders who have lost their belief in limited government.