The Conservative Case for McCain

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford makes an excellent case in the Wall Street Journal today for John McCain's agenda of fiscal discipline:

There is a yawning gulf between the viewpoints of Mr. McCain and those of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Nowhere is this more evident than on the critical issue of the steady collapse of our government's financial house.

Since 2000, the federal budget has increased 72%, to $3.1 trillion from $1.8 trillion. The national debt is now $9 trillion -- more than the combined GDP of China, Japan and Canada. Add in Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security commitments, and as a nation we are staring at more than a $50 trillion hole -- an invisible mortgage of $450,000 for every American family.

Hope alone won't carry us through the valley of the shadow of debt.

Sanford argues that restoring fiscal discipline in Washington is as important an issue in this election as the war, the economy, federal judgeships and any other debate taking center stage.  He's right, and there's only one candidate in the race who is talking about cutting government spending.  That's John McCain.