The Bush Betrayal

washingtonpost.com ^ | Sunday, November 30, 2003 | David Boaz

[Destro]

In 2000 George W. Bush campaigned across the country telling voters: "My opponent trusts government. I trust you."

Little wonder that some of his supporters are now wondering which candidate won that election.

Federal spending has increased by 23.7 percent since Bush took office. Education has been further federalized in the No Child Left Behind Act. Bush pulled out all the stops to get Republicans in Congress to create the biggest new entitlement program -- prescription drug coverage under Medicare -- in 40 years.

[Az Joe]

Overly pessimistic my friend. I beleive Bush will go after Social Security after the election and begin privitzation.

It has took a good 40 years to enact all these Leftist programs and it will take some time to rein them in.

But if we let the Democrats back in were doomed.

[CurlyDave]

From the article: They could even vote for an antiwar, anti-Patriot Act, socially tolerant Democrat.

I could vote for an anti-Patriot Act, socially tolerant candidate of either party, but I could never vote for one who will sell out the security of the United States.

If we do not stop the muslims now we have only two choices:

1. The next war will make this one look like a Sunday School picnic, or

2. They will take over in 50-100 years.

[AnalogReigns]

Personally I love it when the most leftist media chooses to attack Bush for not being "right" enough.

The author of this piece, David Boaz, is not part of the media, rather he's the Exec. VP of the very conservative/libertarian (there are both there) Cato Institute. I used to work under him.

Boaz means what he says and is in no way a liberal attack dog. Foolishly consistant (as libertarians tend to be)? Probably. But not a leftist.

[superloser]

Opinions of teachers don't matter-we all know they are unqualified socialists anyway.

Not all are. Some are ardent conservatives, particularly those in the Red Counties. I know several conservative public school teachers myself...

Its just that the Unions, NEA, and the inner-city teachers you see on the National News generally *are* Socialists.

The real conservative teachers complain about the union they are forced to join constantly.

[Destro]

You have a good point that is well made but was not required. Ypu skipped the (pre-emptive sarcasm) at the end of my statement.

[superloser]

Fair enough, but the statement wasn't really intended for you specifically :-)

Far too many people paint teachers wildly with the same paint brush and assume they are all the same.

[KeyWest]

I would like to know just where the growth is. After 9/11 we had to spend a lot more money on defense and security. The 40 billion per year for the prescription drug program is small compared to the impact of 9/11.

Remember- most of the savings in the budget during the Clinton years were in defense cuts. A budget can go up or down but the why is the important thing.

[olliemb]

I know a lot of teachers. They whined about the system before no child left behind. I suspect once a whiner always a whiner.

What part of the no child left behind do you not like?

[olliemb]

The amount of money spent on a stroke patient is incomparable to the expense of the medicines to prevent the stroke. Same for open heart surgery vs. treatment of the cholesterol plaquing.

Many patients cannot afford the meds. Period. They just don't take them. Or they take one every other day or cut the tablets in half or take one instead of the 3 prescribed. Then they come in for the storke or need the surgery. Medicare covers hospitalization. Ergo, the expenses.

The medicare prescription drug bill will cut down the costs of medicare. I am very sure of it.

[massadvj]

The medicare prescription drug bill will cut down the costs of medicare. I am very sure of it.

Sorry, but the vast majority of prescription drugs will be pain killers. The statins help to lower cholesterol, but merely put off the inevitable, so the costs are actually higher as patients are treated for years and years as opposed to weeks.

Thanks to this new bill, the 36 million seniors who are currently addicted to opiate derivatives will be subsidized by your tax money. This is the most pathetic thing imaginable, pandering to 36 million drug addicts in order to secure re-election.

It illustrates the the great flaw in democracy without constitutional limits. The politicians use the purse strings to reward the constituency groups that vote without regard to what is right or good for the country.

When you consider that 55 percent of the wealth of this country is already in the hands of folks over 65, and that some 60 percent of the federal budget goes to Social Security and Medicare, you realize that the majority of federal spending is actually helping the rich to get richer. We are subsidizing plantation homes in Myrtle Beach, ocean view condos in Tampa Bay, and golf course villas in Sun City. And the Republicans are the biggest sinners in perpetuating this larceny for no more reason than the beneficiaries are their most loyal constituents.

Yes, limited government is dead in America, folks. As the population ages it will only get worse.

[olliemb]

"but the vast majority of prescription drugs will be pain killers"

Where did you come up with this information. The majority of the senior citizens are not addicted to pain killers. They are addicted to hypertension meds, cholesterol meds, cardiac meds--but pain killers--you are WRONG!! VERY WRONG!!!

Statins do not merely put off the inevitable. They can prevent the inevitable. Again you are very WRONG.