Interesting Thought On Reagan And Conservatism

Josh Marshall at TPM makes an interesting observation: Republicans are now coming around to eviscerating George W. Bush for "betraying conservative principles", and making comparisons to their "true conservative hero", Ronald Reagan.

Which one of these presidents (Reagan or Bush) pushed through big tax cuts while increasing domestic discretionary spending, ballooning military spending, and leaving the nation with massively increased debt?

Right: Both of them.

The difference? When Reagan did it, he more or less managed to leave the country (and the Republican party) in a better position than it was when he took office. When Bush did it... epic fail.

It really has been decades since "Republican" and "conservative" (in the Burkean sense that I know and love) have occupied the same space.