Oh, a congressman’s job is never done; such is our nightmare. After blowing billions of our tax dollars at the federal level on pork-barrel programs, such as a rain forest in Iowa, congressmen like to help out at other levels, too.

Congressman Tom Davis of Virginia wants my taxes to go up. And, disappointed that he can’t raise them enough at the federal level, he has offered to help state legislators raise my taxes. Gee, thanks.

Virginia’s legislature is stuck. The Democratic Governor wants a billion dollar tax increase, the Republican Senate wants an even bigger increase, and the Republican House wants a smaller one. Of course, no tax increase is needed.

State spending has increased 56 percent in the last five years, and the budget is set to rise 11 percent this year without new taxes. So, to unstick the politicians, Davis offers campaign cash to those Republican delegates who break ranks to support a bigger tax increase.

It is not enough that powerful career politicians in Congress shake down various special interests for campaign cash. Now Congressman Davis takes his congressional war chest to bribe tax-raisers at the state level, too.

Peter Ferrara, president of the Virginia Club for Growth, says: “Tom Davis is a real negative for the Republican Party, because at every critical juncture, Tom Davis is always telling candidates to abandon the grass-roots base.” Ferrara adds that Davis “better have deep pockets” because those who buck the voters will need all the help they can get.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Republicans control the legislative and executive branches of the federal government. And yet, the party of “smaller government” and “fiscal responsibility” has grown government outrageously and irresponsibly.

Quite a few of my listeners and readers have offered excuses for the Republicans. The most common? “The Democrats would have been worse.” That may be true. But why haven’t the Republicans been better? That’s where the second most common excuse comes in. “Doesn’t the war make a difference? Don’t governments usually go into deficit spending during war?”

Though it’s possible to finance a war without deficits, yes, an unexpected war does lead to unplanned expenditures, hence deficits. But once a war begins, governments can reprioritize. America’s done it in the past. So why, once war started, haven’t Republicans fought rather than reveled in pork? And why push for huge, whopping increases in domestic spending? Even the National Endowment for the Arts has mushroomed 17 percent this year.

I’ll listen to other answers, but here’s my guess: when you get to spend the money, fiscal responsibility and smaller government don’t matter so much. Some assume I must be a Kerry supporter when I express such criticisms. Or a Bush supporter when I take Kerry to task. That’s not my game.

Politicians must be held to account and so should the political parties that have become clubs for powerful incumbents. But the real solution is to restore real representation in Congress, where spending begins. That means term limits.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.