Bush's Big Government Conservatism?

Many would argue that the two ideas are simply incompatible. Conservatives are supposed to like smaller government, more personal liberties, laissez faire economic policies leading to "rising tide lifting all boats", and be skeptical of the federal government's ability to change things ("cannot legislate morality"). Sound about right? So what does this make Bush?

More government, less personal liberties, economic policies that make many less secure, and a government that has dramatically increased its own power. The Administration believes in passing a Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage, which has traditionally been a state matter. They believe they have the right to hold any person, regardless of their national origin, indeterminately and without trial or due process, simply because they say so. They believe they have to right to use "extraordinary rendition" to send over suspects to foreign countries where they can be tortured in a way not permissible under our laws. And the government spending? Don't get me started on the spending! Let a conservative do it for us:

Via a commenter on this story, which I got to via Andrew, I came across this post from National Review Online's The Corner. John J. Miller laments of the Bush administration:

The late senator Everett Dirksen is sometimes credited with saying, "A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon, you're talking real money." That was in the 20th century. In the 21st century, government spending is in the trillions. Today's Washington Post has a front-page story on President Bush's proposed budget of nearly $3 trillion. It inspired me to take a look at other Washington Post stories on Bush budgets. Let's take a walk down memory lane:

February 28, 2001: “In his first address to Congress, Bush likened his $ 1.9 trillion budget to a family budget...”

February 5, 2002: “President Bush yesterday proposed a $ 2.13 trillion budget for next year...”

February 4, 2003: “President Bush announced a $ 2.23 trillion budget for fiscal 2004 yesterday...”

February 3, 2004: “President Bush sent Congress a $2.4 trillion spending plan yesterday...”

February 13, 2005: “President Bush sent Congress a $2.57 trillion budget...”

February 5, 2006: “President Bush plans to propose a $2.7 trillion budget tomorrow...”

Today: “President Bush took aim yesterday at domestic spending as part of a plan to balance the budget in five years without raising taxes while increasing funding for the Iraq war and permanently expanding the military. With the $2.9 trillion budget he submitted to Congress...”

If you're keeping score at home, $1.9 trillion to $2.9 trillion is an increase of more than 52 percent.

Frankly, Bush is the worst of both worlds to me. He is a big-government, fiscal liberal and a restrictive social conservative. Maybe that's why Gallup has him at 32% approval, 65% disapproval. You reap what you sow.