What CAN Big Government Do Competently?

It is interesting to have the curtain of Oz pulled back from the facade that all we need is more big government and big government power grabs to solve the woes of our country. With the big liberal dreams of the far left in play now that the White House is occupied by Team Obama - one member farther left than the next - and the audacity of members of Congress calling for government takeover of public and private industries, it is now that the Democrats must face what Republicans have known to be true. There is a limit to the effectiveness of big government.

Now that the Republicans are rightfully calling for government action for the clean up measures taken by the federal government, the Democrats are making hay and openly ridiculing the GOP. Why? BP was drilling in federally controlled waters. BP was operating with a government issued permit. Oil drilling is regulated by the federal government. Oil drilling is taxed by the federal government.

It is a common sense reaction for Republicans to demand the President and his cabinet step up and do the right thing. The right thing, in this disaster, is to demand that BP plug the well as soon as possible, which is in their best interests, too. It is for the President and his cabinet members to reform the MMS - he brought on the director that had to resign after issuing the permits to BP just months ago. For the finger pointing to continue from this administration and their flacks hitting the talking heads shows is ridiculous. It is now well into the second year of a four year term. They were focused like a laser beam on health care legislation and big spending taxing legislation - like the stimulus bills - yet doing what they criticize previous administrations of doing, neglecting reforms necessary within regulatory departments. Grow up and do the job at hand.

THIS from a column in The Wall Street Journal: Coming as it did on the heels of various other government fiascoes and embarrassments—the subsidized-mortgage crisis, ethanol, California issuing IOUs, Bernie Madoff, ultra-deep public debt, infrastructure turning to dust everywhere—the Gulf mess is the moment for the American people to reconsider just what they think government can do, or should do.

Less, more efficient and effective government control is needed from Washington, D.C.