Disraeli and TR? Really??

David Brooks goes off trying to find examples of conservative rulers who vigorously pursued an increase in Federal programs. His examples?

Two of the most prominent conservative reformers were Benjamin Disraeli and Theodore Roosevelt. Both reframed the political debate so that it was not change versus the status quo, it was unfamiliar change versus cautious, patriotic change designed to preserve the traditional virtues of the nation.

David Brooks can only cite a mid-19th Century British Prime Minister and a turn of the 20th Century American President as examples of conservatives taking positive federal action? Impressive. Never mind that whether or not TR is accurately described as a conservative is a debate unto-itself; as is Brooks analysis regarding "patriotic change.." which certainly appears to be superficial nonsense masquerading as analysis.

This is along the same lines as Bruce Bartlett's recent Wall Street Journal oped defending the Republican Party on race issues based on the actions of Lincoln and Coolidge - no really.

I suppose it hasn't occured to Brooks or Bartlett that their defenses are actually pretty damning. "Vote Republican, we weren't so bad 140 years ago!" is not really a winning platform.