Happily dispensing their "stimulus" goodies, Democrats are securely running the show at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.  So it was particularly refreshing last week to see Congressional Republicans being rebaptized - if belatedly - in that old time religion of fiscal restraint and small government.  However, it was seemingly only yesterday, when Republicans were running the show at both ends - for six of the last eight years - that those GOP voices practicing their religion were few, muted and ultimately discounted.

Where were all these newly reconverted Republican spending, deficit and big government hawks during those years?  The parade of Republican gluttony included serial "bridges to nowhere"-like appropriations; prescription drug coverage, the biggest entitlement since Medicare; a deficit then approaching over $500 billion; a national debt then of over $10 trillion; intrusive expansions of big government control like No Child Left Behind and subsidized welfare-style farm bills.  It all happened on their watch.  The growth in federal domestic, discretionary spending was simply obscene.

I heartily applauded the unanimity of House Republicans - twice - and the near unanimity of their Senate colleagues in opposing the "stimulus" bill. Unfortunately, though, I find myself in agreement with those Democrats who charged that the anguished railing against the bill heard from Republicans in both chambers echoed of some hypocrisy - especially considering their past spending frenzy. It seems easier to rant at the other guy's spending when you're in the opposition than it is to harness your own when you control the purse strings.  Let me be blunt here:  Republicans have little moral authority to lecture about deficits.

I hope the "stimulus" vote signals a permanent return of Republicans to the faith of their heritage.  As I wrote in these pages "Among other critical tasks, the Republican Pay has to recover its historic identity and reclaim the role of fiscal grown-up.  The party of Lincoln, particularly under the current president, supported high-spending, deficits, mounting debt and extension of entitlements.  One of the more egregious failures of the Bush administration has been its abandonment of any sense of fiscal discipline and responsibility," ("What now? Depart, I say," Nov. 6, 2008).

The "stimulus" drama played out with final passage of the bill in the Senate, thanks to the votes of three RINO* Senators - Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe and Arlen Specter.  I think we can safely brand these three RINOs as unrepentant heretics with no hope of their returning - if they ever were believers - to that old time religion.

Senator Specter deserves special note. In 2004, he slipped by a primary challenge from conservative Pat Toomey, thanks, in large part, to RNC help and Bush's endorsement.  Specter owes retaining his seat to that help and Bush's blessing.  And they are owed enduring shame for their support of the perpetual RINO Arlen Specter.

* For the uninitiated, non-talk radio listener, the acronym RINO stands for Republican In Name Only.