Zimbler,
re: "What I might consider to be a 'fire breathing conservative' would not want to spend public money on the National Parks"
National parks are one of the most obvious embodiments of what it means to be a Conservative. Where do you think the word comes from? Conservatives CONSERVE.
What you've written doesn't surprise me. Republicans are not very "conservative" any more, and not many give thought to what the word means.
Gold is $1,581/oz today. When it hits $2,000, it will be up 26.5%. Let's see how long that takes. - De 3/11/2013 - ANSWER: 7 Years, 5 Months