Very well stated, mountainfolk. People seem to forget that CANDIDATE Bush, once he took the oath of office and became PRESIDENT Bush, honored the promises he made.
From President George W. Bush's acceptance speech, after a protracted election chadhunting debacle where the country was shown to be deeply divided:
I know America wants reconciliation and unity. I know Americans want progress. And we must seize this moment and deliver.
Together, guided by a spirit of common sense, common courtesy and common goals, we can unite and inspire the American citizens.
Together, we will work to make all our public schools excellent, teaching every student of every background and every accent, so that no child is left behind.
Together we will save Social Security and renew its promise of a secure retirement for generations to come.
Together we will strengthen Medicare and offer prescription drug coverage to all of our seniors.
Together we will give Americans the broad, fair and fiscally responsible tax relief they deserve.
Together we'll have a bipartisan foreign policy true to our values and true to our friends, and we will have a military equal to every challenge and superior to every adversary.
Together we will address some of society's deepest problems one person at a time, by encouraging and empowering the good hearts and good works of the American people.
This is the essence of compassionate conservatism and it will be a foundation of my administration.
These priorities are not merely Republican concerns or Democratic concerns; they are American responsibilities.
That's the President I voted for. The one who restored dignity and honor to the White House, the one who promised a strong military, the one who I strongly sensed to be faithful to his wife and would therefore be likewise to his country. He has provided leadership and shown integrity of character.
And he is NOT a Rove-made man. It just happens that he recognizes quality when he chooses those who work for him, and Karl Rove is good at what he has been hired to do.