On Tim Walberg's website, his biography page includes the following:

Tim served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1983 to 1999,
gaining a reputation as a principled voice for less government spending, lower
taxes, and fewer regulations, and a compassionate voice for the culture of life
and traditional values.

That bold emphasis, by the way, is original from the page. It's clear that he considers himself a "principled voice for less government spending," and he wants you to know that. It's a constant theme from the first day of his campaign-- he's "pro-taxpayer" and anti-spending.

But is he really so principled? Will he stand and say no, with all his strength, to extra spending? Obviously it's something he feels very strongly about, that a minimalist, hands-off government is best. Does he put that into practice?

In the comments, a reader points us toward The Truth About Tim Walberg, a website operated by Republicans Who Care. Perhaps this was their answer to the "Joe Schwarz is a Liberal" website the Club for Growth created during the primary. I have to admit, I actually felt some sympathy for Walberg when visiting that website, because it showed there's a little more to him than the "Mr. No" he campaigns on. He really will spend some money when he thinks it's worth it, and, to a "tax-and-spend liberal" like me, I appreciate it.

Mind you, my sympathy didn't last long. Even someone like me might hesitate for a moment before voting to allow state spending on color television for prison inmates. That's just me, though.

If you're a conservative Republican that supports Tim Walberg because you feel he's an honest, fiscal conservative, you might want to read more about the Truth About Tim Walberg. The truth is, he's not the anti-spending advocate he claims to be. He'll spend just as much as anyone else, when he feels like it.

Labels: 2006 Election