Marc Ambinder: “Republicans are trying to use fiscal discipline as their excuse for opposition [to the stimulus], but they whistled away that former strength away [sic] over Bush’s presidency.”
I have seen this argument elsewhere, usually from nyah-nyah commenters on blogs. But the antidote to a reputation for reckless spending is not signing on to additional reckless spending.
If you want to restore the strength of a reputation for fiscal discipline, you have to exercise fiscal discipline.