Bush the Non-Regulator

Former Reason Editor Virginia Postrel has an interesting gloss on recent attacks on George W. Bush for not passing enough regulation.

She points to a NY Times graphic that shows the incremental costs of new regulations passed since 1987. It shows that Dubya (averaging $1.6 billion for '02 and '03) is way below the average set by Reagan ($8.1 billion), Poppa Bush ($8.5 billion), and Clinton ($6.2 billion; it's also interesting to note that Clinton is well below either of his two predecessors). She writes,

After nearly four years, both the WaPost–in a three-part series, no less–and the NYT, in a more-modest single article have suddenly discovered that the Bush administration has taken a dim view of regulation….

The reporters take the attitude that any restriction approved by "activists" and disapproved by "business" must be good–end of debate….

Taken as a whole, this latest media campaign offers an answer to an oft-asked question: Why on earth would a libertarian vote for George W. Bush?

That ">NY Times graphic supplies a good answer.

Whole thing here.