L.A. Times: "Era of big government is back."

Writes Janet Hook in today's L.A. Times:

"Even as President Bush proposes deep cuts in healthcare, farm subsidies and other domestic programs, his new budget makes one thing clear about the legacy of his first term in the White House. The era of big government is back.

"Bush's $2.6-trillion budget for 2006, if approved by Congress, would be more than one-third bigger than the budget he inherited four years ago. ...

"No longer are Republicans arguing with Democrats about whether government should be big or small. They are at odds over what kind of big government the United States should have."

Actually, government never shrinks. It's grown bigger and more intrusive under every presidential administration, Republican or Democrat. The only real difference between the two parties has been rhetoric. Now, even much of the rhetoric is the same.