Quote of the Decade?

You've probably seen it already (here's Ezra Klein, for example), regarding Medicare Part D:

Six years ago, "it was standard practice not to pay for things," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.

(From a first-rate AP story by Charles Babington) 

 It does let me once again make one of my standard points...the explosion of the deficit during the Bush years was not a sign that Congress is unable to control the budget; it's a sign that Republican Congresses and President Bush got exactly what they wanted out of the budget. It was all dessert, all the time, no justification or argument necessary.  Just, we don't pay for things anymore.

And don't forget that in the Senate, most of the Republican amendments (or motions) on the health care bill were, at least on face value, more of the same.  What's wrong with the bill, according to Republican amendments?  That it's payed for.  If I recall correctly, the only exception would be the CLASS Act amendment; certainly, the Republicans never offered an amendment to slash the subsidies, or to prevent Democrats from filling the doughnut hole.  I don't think there was an amendment to scale back or stop Medicaid expansion. 

"It was standard practice not to pay for things."  I guess so.