This is the sort of thing that makes me nervous

Having recently discussed the role of tenure and LIFO in preventing political abuses, this quote from Grover Norquist struck me as somewhat disturbing:

"Yes, the McKinley era, absent the protectionism, [is the goal]. You're looking at the history of the country for the first 120 years, up until Teddy Roosevelt, when the socialists took over. The income tax, the death tax, regulation, all that."

You'll notice he didn't say "absent the protectionism and the abuse of government power." Of course, that doesn't mean Norquist and his fellow travellers would bring back the patronage system, but it doesn't give me a warm feeling inside either.