, Columnist
Democrats Need to Channel Their Inner DOGE
The party of Carter, Clinton and Obama has a long history of working to reduce bloat and improve efficiency.
Not necessarily more efficient.
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The American public, according to the president, was “sick and tired of wasteful spending.” So he proposed to “slash federal hiring and reduce the federal workforce” as well as “restrain federal pay.” For good measure, he threw in a plan to “remove needless regulations.”
Was this Ronald Reagan in 1981? George W. Bush two decades later? Donald Trump last week? None of the above: It was Jimmy Carter in 1978. Democrats were campaigning for government efficiency back when Elon Musk still had his baby teeth — and part of what they need to do now is get back in touch with their inner DOGE.