"War is the health of the state," Randolph Bourne noted. Bourne, being a statist, would have known such things. The state's domestic power increased because of the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and now, Iraq. Much of the spending and usurpation has nothing to do with conducting war. But it gets wrapped in the flag, and it's hard to take on the flag. Currently, unscrupulous politicians have successfully wrapped spending earmarks for their districts into bills relating to the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq.

As RedState details, limited-government Republicans (they may be endangered, but yes, they exist) are fighting to expose the big-spending masked as patriotism. Last week, these congressmen, particularly Texan Jeb Hensarling, got an earfull from GOP big-spenders.

"Does the gentleman not understand that we are at war?" Congressman James Walsh asked of Hensarling. "Does he not understand that we have people in harm's way across the entire southern tier of Asia, that are being fired upon as we speak; that these funds are essential to fight the global war on terror, to bring democracy to these scattered points around the world, that these are soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are in dire need of this support, of these expenditures?"

The expenditures Walsh referred to include money for a gym, day-care centers, an animal clinic, and a parking garage. What does any of that have to do with "people in harm's way" and "the global war on terror"? A M1 tank? Sure. New kevlar body-armor? Yeah. A military pay raise? I guess. But veterinary clinics and parking garages? C'mon.

"Please do not tell us you support the troops," an angry Illinois Republican Ray LaHood proclaimed. "Please do not tell us you support the war. When you came out here and X'd out all of these important projects that help our troops, help us win the war, help the administration fight the war on terror. Pick another bill, not this one, and then try to lecture all of us on the idea that you support all of this."

"Pick another bill" sounds like good advice for LaHood and company. Pick another bill, not a military appropriations bill, to tack on pork-barrell projects to. Don't get mad at colleagues for removing a half-billion dollars worth of inappropriately placed appropriations. And please don't impugn their patriotism when you've attempted to loot military funds for your home districts in order not to defeat al Qaeda, but to defeat whatever Democrat you're up against.