Posted on 09/21/2005 6:08:15 PM PDT by JohnRoss
The track George W. Bush has taken the Republican Party down is the exact opposite of the one I embraced when I became a Republican 15 years ago in high school.
Just to say a bit about myself, I have worked for Republican legislators, worked on several Republican campaigns, attended the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego as part of the Young Voters Program. I have not voted for the president once, but twice.
First of all, I became a Republican because I thought the party stood for fiscal responsibility and it opposed the concept of nation building. Yet, I have watched the same party grow non-defense spending astronomically, creating prescription drug entitlements for seniors, expand the Education Department that Reagan wished to abolish, neglect illegal immigration to give his friends cheap labor, etc.
In the 1990s, Republicans such as myself condemned the Clinton administration for its nation-building activities in Bosnia and Kosovo. Yet, the president started an adventerous war in Iraq on the idealistic notion of recreating Iraq in our image: nation building, in other words. Sure Saddam was a butcher, a tyrant and all of the above, but in the war on terror he was a second-rate player. The war in Iraq is also unconstitutional as were the wars in Korea and Vietnam because Congress has the constitutional power to declare war.
We had far more cause to declare war on Iran, which has served as the terrorist kingdom since 1979: especially because Iran has given safe harbor to Al-Qaeda's top brass.
We little people need to force George W. Bush and the Republican congressional leadership to return to the principles of the 1994 Contract With America or face certain defeat in the mid-terms.
Let's start putting country ahead of party and get our party to stop acting like 1950s Democrats.
Dont let the door hit you on the way out.
"... an adventerous war in Iraq on the idealistic notion of recreating Iraq in our image: nation building, in other words."
...or, in the words of the liberals.
You let your knee-jerk Republicanism blind you to reality. I know some A-list conservatives who agree with me, including the founder of the Heritage Foundation.
More conservative than thou.
IB4TZ
Disasters and wars kinda change things. It's nice to be fiscally responsible but in any emergency, priorities change.
Then choose a candidate you can support, and work for him/her/it to get elected.
It is very difficult to govern from the right, or the left. Perhaps people don't really recall Reagan as President, and his administration has become some conservative dream that it was not. He knew he had to compromise and he did. So does Bush.
Bring back Newt to lead us down the RIGHT path. I'm tired of the new compassionate conservatives. Damn big government to Hell. In 1994 the Republican movement had some courage, now they're a bunch of over spending, power mad skirts.
Exactally right!!!
Sorry guy but there is no comparison.
There were numerous reasons to go into Iraq,one of which was to light the fire of democracy and civilized existence in a region that has been a burning cauldron of barbarism for as long as recorded history.
It will take a long time to work if it is going to but with events of the last decade it is worth a try.
It is somewhat unfair to characterize it as "adventurous" or "idealistic".
There is a solid motive.
So...John...how long have you been a mole?
Don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya!!!
And you are...?
"I'm president of all the people, liberals too." Or something like that. Reagan's words. I remember everyone was smacking him down on Firing Line one time. Only Rusher said he was thoroughly pleased understanding Reagan couldn't do everything he wanted. The country is split 50/50 and most Americans want big government. That's a fact you have to live with although you do what you can to change their minds.
Can't sell tax cuts and Social Security reform for 2006 when two US cities have been hit by Cat 5 hurricans.
Mike Pence and twenty houuse conservatives are how we can retake our party!
Too bad Newt was such a buffoon. What's needed is a conservative with class.
You're on the end of the Bell Curve, and you sound like you need a nap.
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