Lest history repeat itself

...This may come as a shock to some on the right. It shouldn't. Republicans have held the House for almost 12 years and have occupied the White House for all but eight of the past 25 years, yet they have failed to shut off the spending valves in Washington. It was only a matter of time before Democrats ran against wasteful Republican spending. It's also not surprising that Democrats would claim the mantle of fiscal responsibility, for that claim has won them elections in the past. Indeed, it's how Sam Rayburn--the legendary speaker who now has a House office building named after him--won back the House for Democrats in 1954 and handed the party 40 years of uninterrupted control...

WSJ.com Opinion Journal: Penny-Wise Pelosi by Brendan Miniter

Update: The Growing Disconnect: Federal Spending and Congressional Leadership