Lesson for today: Bush 41 chose friendship over politics in tax fight

washingtonexaminer ^ | 07/26/2019 | Paul Bedard

[ChicagoConservative27]

Long before today's acid relations between Republicans and Democrats, President Trump and "the squad," friendships mattered over daily politics.

In a classic example, a letter going up for auction next week highlights that mood, now some 30 years ago.

Columnist Paul Bedard on the expanded Washington Examiner magazine

Watch Full Screen to Skip Ads It is from famous letter-writer President George H.W. Bush to his long-time pal, then Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, the Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and during a heated fight over tax cuts.

A few weeks before the vote to give Bush his tax cut, Rostenkowski apparently came under fire from the Wall Street Journal in an attack so harsh that Bush, his pal since the 1960s, wrote him a note of support, including a wish that the fight wouldn’t interfere with their friendship.

It was written aboard Air Force One as the president flew home from an event in Spokane, Washington. “That my friendship with you now appears to some to be a burden to you troubles the hell out of me,” wrote Bush, adding, “I'm your friend. I hope you know that.”

[Soul of the South]

“If it weren’t for Perot, Billary would not have won”

If George HW hadn’t raised taxes, promoted one sided free trade (NAFTA), failed to secure the border, compromised with Democrats at every turn, and done his best to eradicate the Reagan revolution, a segment of the GOP base wouldn’t have voted for Perot. Not unlike Jen being rejected by the base in favor of Trump.