I wonder why Chait only recognizes this now. Are Washington politics really fundamentally different than they were a decade ago with Clinton in the White House? Are the lobbyists engaged in rent-seeking activities that were unknown back then? Is it perhaps that Clinton was better at giving the perception that the government was doing things “for the little guy” that inspired applause from left-wing ideologues than Bush II is at getting people to think that he is fighting against mushrooming growth of the federal government?