“I think the heavier lifting is the budget-process and earmarks [reform]. Lobbyist reform is blaming somebody else. I just fear that there will be too much blaming and not focus on what we need to do.”
“The enormous cost of this proposal will only hasten Medicare's insolvency, and we'll have to rely on future Congresses to have the political courage that this Congress lacks,”
“[Since then Mr. Hastert and his fellow GOP leaders have skillfully used their narrow majority to win an amazing number of close votes without having to negotiate much with Democrats. But gradually the fear of losing their majority has also begun leading them to behave more and more like the big-spending Democrats they unseated.] Holding the majority used to be viewed as a means to an end--the end being promoting freedom and limited government, ... Now, holding the majority seems to be an end in itself--holding onto power for the sake of holding onto power.”
