They had President Clinton ? and, truthfully, all of Washington ? on the run. Within five months, President Clinton would stun his own party by declaring in his State of the Union address that the "era of big government is over" and hold a press conference in which he really and truly said, "I would remind you, the Constitution gives me relevance. The president is relevant here."
At Joe's town-hall meeting, one constituent happened to get control of the microphone and declared, "There ain't a dime's worth of difference between Republicans and Democrats," the man said. "Your boy Newt's no different than Bill Clinton."
Scarborough went off. "It's great that you cared enough to come to our town-hall meeting," he said. "But why don't you read a newspaper before you come to the next one?"
He followed with a barrage: Republicans pass balanced-budget amendments, cut taxes and make Congress live by the rules it passes for others, he said. Democrats fight to keep the inefficient, expensive status quo, to regulate everything in sight, to enact the largest tax hike in American history.
Ten years later, Scarborough says, "I think I owe my grumpy former constituent an apology." Republicans and Democrats alike, he now writes, seem interested in two things: "wasting your money and consolidating their power."
It is with Republicans in charge on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, he acknowledges ruefully, that America has gone from a $155 billion surplus to a $455 billion ? and counting ? deficit in three years. It is with Republicans in charge on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, he charges (citing data from the Heritage Foundation) that Americans now pay more per year for their government than they have at any time since World War II.
Since the GOP took over Congress in 1995, Joe points out, the departments of Justice and Education have more than doubled spending, and Commerce (82 percent), Health and Human Services (81 percent), State (80 percent), Transportation (65 percent) and Housing and Urban Development (59 percent) all have enjoyed substantial increases.
A lot of Republicans won't like Scarborough's book ? it's a trip to the woodshed for the party he hoped would change America when he ran for Congress. And since nothing less than a presidential election is just a few weeks away, a few folks probably will be angry with me, too ? simply for telling the truth. Please note: Joe is clear, and so am I, that Congress wants even more spending, even higher taxes and even bigger government.
But true conservatives must acknowledge that, on some key questions, far too many of those "in charge" have lost their way.
It's time for grassroots conservatives to take a tip from "Feisty Joe" and start demanding more from our leaders.