Highway Bill

Here at last is proof positive that conservatism in government is not only an oxymoron, but something that is utterly useless to any party in power, regardless of their expressed beliefs. All these conservatives in congress and not a single peep about the wide load hurtling off of the President's desk. As a liberal, I have no problem with initiatives like this one. I'm glad it passed. The government spending does indeed boost the economy and, unlike our unfortunate outlays in Iraq, the expenditures actually have a permanent positive result.

But what's to like about this project if you're a conservative? Were these roads that were demanded by market forces? Did private capital fail to seize upon an investment opportunity? To a free-market conservative, does not the absence of private capital in an enterprise make such an undertaking the very definition of unnecessary? Does conservative mean anything other than "hates gays" these days?