Two views from Readers:

Dear Jonah
I think that they ruin their argument by the casual inclusion of the Alan Dershowitz quote. There are all sorts of people out there saying all kinds of nitwittery. Are they saying that torture is a function of big government? – or that that’s the way we’re headed? If so, it’s ludicrous. I read the original article and that particular sentence struck a really sour note. Like many conservatives, I too worry about the growth in government but as the Irish would say, we live in interesting times.
As far as so called neo-cons are concerned, I agree with you that the essential activist views of the neo-cons are probably shared by an awful lot of people. Hey why not? We have for years had subtle approval in the media for “activist” lefties, what about a few cheers for the activist right.

And:

I don’t want to delve too deeply into the debate over neo-cons, paleo-cons, and libertarians. However, I do agree with Crane and Niskanen’s concern about the absence of limited government supporters in Washington. In an attempt to neutralize left-wing issues, the Bush Administration wants to dramatically expand the role of the federal government. The president and far too many Republicans support a new prescription drug entitlement and tax credits for individuals who do not pay income taxes. Without leadership from the president, the debate over reducing the size of government appears to be dead.