In age of Trump, GOP learns to embrace government activism

Many Republicans applauded when President-elect Donald Trump intervened to help keep appliance manufacturer Carrier's jobs in Indiana, a deal that cost state taxpayers about $7 million in tax breaks and grants.

When the Obama administration got involved on behalf of the auto industry and individual companies, Republicans were quick to brand it "crony capitalism" and the government "picking winners and losers."

Republicans are sounding receptive to Trump's plan for a massive $1 trillion infrastructure bill, after years criticizing Obama's smaller $787 billion stimulus package that the administration pushed through Congress with little GOP support in 2009 to try to pull the country out of a financial catastrophe.

Ever since Trump's surprise win last month on a platform full of populist ideas that run counter to Republican orthodoxy, the question for Republican leaders in Congress has been whether they will follow his lead on such proposals, or whether more traditional GOP policies will prevail.

Even when it comes to core GOP goals like entitlement reform and free trade, Republicans' enthusiasm over having one of their own in the White House appears to be making it easy for them to overlook fundamental policy disagreements.