Posted on 01/23/2015 6:08:23 AM PST by xzins
This week marks the twenty-sixth anniversary of the “massacre of the Reaganites” by newly elected President George H.W. Bush that effectively ended the prospect of institutionalizing Reaganism as the governing principle of the Republican Party and America.
We call it the “massacre of the Reaganites” because, in a well-thought-out and carefully crafted purge, on Inauguration Day 1989 practically every conservative who remained in government at the end of President Ronald Reagan’s second term, and certainly any conservative of any political consequence, was fired or forced to resign from their post in the federal government.
Even those who had worked tirelessly to elect George H.W. Bush President in the expectation that a Bush presidency would be effectively the “third term of Ronald Reagan” were dismissed.
Within hours of Bush’s inauguration establishment Republicans, such as James Baker III, who had opposed many of Reagan’s initiatives from within the administration, were promoted. But throughout the government Reagan’s conservative appointees, many of whom were loyal Republicans who had supported Bush, were forced to resign, were stripped of their duties, or were summarily fired by a new administration that wanted no part of the relatively few movement conservatives left in the government on the day Ronald Reagan departed Washington for California.
The few that were left were relegated to the dim reaches of various federal office building and given a few months to find another job or left on the payroll, but given no responsibilities in the new administration. Their in-boxes filled with only magazines and with nothing substantive to do they soon left.
While Bush partisans argued that the new president was justified in putting his own people in place, the 1989 “Inauguration Day Massacre” firings were more akin to political executions; lists of those to be “executed” were drawn up, and they were fired before sundown of the first day of the new Bush administration in a well-planned agenda to replace conservatives (be they Bush supporters or not) with establishment Republicans.
While most conservative critiques of George H.W. Bush tend to focus on “Read my lips,” and Bush’s abandonment of his pledge not to raise taxes, the result of the “Inauguration Day Massacre” firings were with no conservatives left to say “hey wait a minute,” Bush quickly walked away from conservative principles on a long list of policies and decisions.
• Bush reversed himself and imposed a temporary ban on semiautomatic rifles—so-called assault weapons—after first opposing the idea.
• He signed and advocated the Americans with Disabilities Act, creating a whole new realm of litigation nightmares for businesses large and small.
• He bailed out the troubled savings and loans banks.
• He signed the Civil Rights Act of 1990, making it easier for employees to sue employers.
• He bought into global warming by signing the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
• He created a “no net loss of wetlands” policy out of whole cloth, with little legislative authority, outraging farmers and landowners across the country.
• And, in what was perhaps his most lasting and damaging betrayal of conservatives, he appointed an obscure state judge, David Souter of New Hampshire, to the Supreme Court.
The “massacre of the Reaganites” should serve as a caution to conservatives who look at Jeb Bush and listen to his “right to rise” rhetoric and think “he sounds pretty good, how bad could a third Bush administration be?” During Reagan’s presidency conservatives frequently said, “Personnel is policy,” and Bush’s Inauguration Day massacre was a sure sign that he intended to abandon Reagan’s policies, and his principles.
Despite all of Bush’s rhetoric about “the transformative power of conservative ideas,” Jeb Bush is the “great white hope” of the Republican establishment.
No one else in America, save Hillary Clinton, starts the 2016 political season with a larger Rolodex of Washington insider supporters than does Jeb Bush. In addition to supporting all of their major policy goals from Common Core to amnesty for illegal aliens, a Bush candidacy will send millions of dollars in consulting business and lucrative lobbying contracts to a small, but powerful, coterie of Bush family supporters and acolytes.
We limited government constitutional conservatives must recognize up front that a successful Jeb Bush campaign would ensure that the Republican establishment stays in power for at least another decade, and it would also ensure that, no matter if Jeb or the Democrat wins, Big Government will continue to get bigger.
I’m thinking of two military aircraft crash survivors. America would be better off today if neither had survived.
“Comments?”
How ‘bout “bury Bush in Iowa” and “bury Bush in New Hampshire” ... and SC, too.
Richard A. Viguerie
http://www.conservativehq.com/about
So true and well put. They are pure evil and hate, America an Americans. Nothing good has happened since those self deluded, worshipers of power and money came into the WH. They are the enemy.
Agree, I ll vote for the Dem too. The Bushes must be opposed and brought down at all cost. Of course , Gw pushed for tge electronic voting machines, I suspect so they can more easily steal the elections. Im skeptical that Obama actually won. A Bush puppet.
Remember Klamath basin
It does sum up my thoughts about them.
” W. was a puppet who did some good as camouflage for the great evil that is his legacy. He advanced the same New World Order agenda as Poppy, especially the destabilizing of the Middle East with his inexplicable attack on Iraq using the canard of WMD. Gee, does anyone else have WMD in the Middle East? Why didn’t we attack them? Don’t forget that Saddam was our friend whom we armed to fight Iran. He was convinced by Poppy that the U.S. would do nothing if he annexed Kuwait. Poppy double-crossed him.
W. also pushed the propagandistically named Security and Prosperity Partnership and the NAFTA Superhighway. In other words, he did a few nice, small things while dutifully doing the large things that are part of the elite’s plan for moving us to global governance.
JEB! will be president. I have no doubt whatsoever. His job will be to “examine the great damage to our economy caused by Obama, harrumph, harrumph” and convince the downtrodden American People that the only way to security and prosperity (great buzzwords there!) is to join a one-world currency. This is the wetdream of the elites.
His Grandpappy Prescott Bush was a fascist who conspired with others to overthrow the FDR administration. He also helped fund Hitler and was indicted for the same.
The Bushes are extremely evil people who despise the very concept of government by the people, and who lust to weaken our nation from within, grasping power for themselves and the elites within their deviant milieu. I have no doubt that when elected, JEB! will let his freak flag fly and publicly embrace every perversion - moral, political and economic - that exists. “
I reposted this for more exposure. The Bush family is hell on earth.
Yeah, but look at all the awesome things his sons have done!
(Boy, could barely type that one out!)
To say that W was a Christian because of his “epiphany” during his “walk on the beach with Billy Graham” has been debunked in the book about the Bush family, “FAMILY OF SECRETS”.
Apparently Karl Rove knew that George W needed to carry the evangelical vote...
Even Billy Graham had a hard time remembering that “walk on the beach” with George W — at first.
Why did his Christianity translate into the Patriot Act and other tyrannical moves?
Does being a Christian in office translate into being careless, unthinking and brutish with the Constitution?
Also the Bush women have been for Obamacare since 2009.
Amazingly, the Bushes still need to be vetted...
(...just like Sarah Palin was vetted.)
GHWB was a lowly congressman from Texas or else running for Congress when I met him in East Texas in 1964 when he was traveling with Senator Goldwater. Poppy Bush was still young, but had the coldest, iciest pale blue eyes I ever saw. He was in a hotel in Tyler, Texas, where I lived, the day of the assassination, and in several of the Murder-of-JFK books I’ve read, he was quoted as not recalling where he was. As if any adult could really not recall where they were on that day. Yes, he was head of the CIA later - I’m not sure of the years, either, without looking it up, but after LBJ’s death and before getting the VP slot.
I don’t recall reading where Poppy was during the attempt to assassinate Reagan, but you can bet he was well-covered. If he cut it close once, in 1963, he sure wouldn’t cut it close again. And I am not impressed with how “genteel” he or his family seems.
I’ve always thought Reagan was just too nice a man to realize the extent of what he had running with him after he was conned into taking Bush. I don’t care what Poppy did during WW2; I consider what he did after. We all knew he was in the CFR in 1964. We didn’t “show what we know” in Texas about him, or LBJ either. Most of us still don’t. Sad.
my appreciation for your post ... Thank you.
Reagan should have followed the advice his wife gave him and chosen Laxalt.
Better trademark the title. The NYT might lift it.
If its Jeb — the Republic is Dead.
And yet, he chose him. He signed some anti-gun ban in 1986 as well.
Was she a classy green eyed blonde?
he appointed an obscure state judge, David Souter of New Hampshire....an obscure state judge who is also, ahem, a “confirmed bachelor”
Jeb Bush could have acted as governor of Florida to intercede on behalf of Terry Schaivo.
Whatever his reasons, he chose not to - and a citizen was thus deprived of her constitutional rights to life and liberty - and her natural right to equity and justice.
Remember Michael Schaivo, Circuit Court Judge George Greer the infamous fool, Dr. Victor Gambone and other various “physicians”.
From http://www.sweetliberty.org/bulletins/bonescan.htm -
In preparation for Terri’s October 2002 trial, her ER records were reviewed and it was plainly noted in the “Admitting Summary” that Terri had a “rigid neck” when she was admitted to the hospital. These injuries were never disclosed to Terri’s family, nor — to their knowledge — were they ever investigated. The doctor reviewing these records testified that the only other patient he treated with similar injuries was the victim of an attempted strangulation.
The prospect that foul play may have led to Terri’s collapse and ensuing heart stoppage was enhanced when a bone scan was recently found. This scan, taken 53 weeks after Terri’s collapse revealed that Terri had fractured ribs, damage to her pelvic area, LI vertebrae, spine, both knees and both ankles. It also revealed that Terri had suffered a broken femur and a broken back. Three doctors concluded that Terri had endured trauma of some sort. The radiologist responsible for the scan plainly stated: “This patient has a history of trauma”.
—
Dr. Bill Frist testified on Terry’s behalf and Governor Jeb Bush did nothing.
As presidents they were just barely competent custodians; as leaders they were pathetic failures; as guardians of the Republic and her freedoms, they were little better than her opponents.
As "Christians," well, no one can know what is in the hearts of men, nor know the mind of God.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.