[bdeaner]

Good analysis. Barone may have captured here the essence of Bush's brand of conservatism. Of course, some may argue that this "conservatism" isn't conservatism, even if "it is in line with changes in the character of the country."

[sinkspur]

Governmnent has grown under every single modern-day president, Ronald Reagan included. It is a fantasy to imagine that ANY president is going to "shrink" the size of government.

Voters are going to have what they want, or you'll be replaced with someone who will give them what they want.

[evad]

hmm..tell ya what. I'll go along with 'pragmatic conservatism' or 'moderate conservatism' or whatever you want to call it but it's not 'pure conservatism' by any stretch of the imagination.

Regardless, President Bush is the best man for these times and I'm proud to have him as my leader, conservative or not.

[mylife]

I love the idea of personal accountability. I just wish he'd leave me some money to in my account to be accountable with.

[NormsRevenge]

evolving the government, one program or policy at a time. interesting take..

[IronJack]

Bush has defined conservatism.

Hardly. Bush doesn't have an ideological bone in his body.

[RLK]

Bush and I don't apprea ro inhabit the same solar system. I don't seem to recognize the world or president he is describing.

[Batrachian]

Growing the budget and creating new entitlements and increasing the existing ones is not conservatism. It may be Republicanism, but that's not the same thing any more. In fact, it's liberalism. Barone is very disingenuous in this piece. President Bush and the Republicans are buying votes, plain and simple. I still support Bush because the alternatives are so horrible, but I won't pretend that this is some new kind of conservatism. Conservatism is what it is, and you don't redefine it to fit your agenda, at least not if you're honest.

[FirstPrinciple]

Does personal accountability mean that seniors have to be accountable to provide their own healthcare? Does personal accountability mean that parents should educate their kids in the way they deem necessary? Does personal accountability mean that one should provide for his own retirement? This article is an exercise in sophistry. It makes mockery out of the term "personal accountability." To the author, the term means something that government should provide.

[Kay Soze]

Should read:

Choice and Accountability: "Bush has defies conservatism."

Will he next remove the abortion issue from the democrats by supporting it?

After all is said and done its the only remaing party paltform issue that seperates repuplicans from democrats.

The country has changed so most are now for it.

How about support for NAMBLA?

Will the next republican be in favor of their agenda?

[Kay Soze]

Should read:

Choice and Accountability: "Bush defies conservatism."

Will he next remove the abortion issue from the democrats by supporting it?

After all is said and done its the only remaing party paltform issue that seperates repuplicans from democrats.

The country has changed so most are now for it.

How about support for NAMBLA?

Will the next republican be in favor of their agenda?

[Pelham]

Let's just call it "Lyndon Johnson conservatism". That should just about capture the absurdity.

[Tamzee]

Great column.... too bad it attracted a goodly share of Bush-bashers.

I admire Bush for what he has managed to accomplish given that he walked into a recession and got slammed with an attack on our soil of epic proportions.

Thanks for the post!

[The Other Harry]

If big spending and more government defines conservatism, the Bush has it down pat.

[syriacus]

Lately I've admired Bush more and more.

He's not triangulating -- he's tacking.

A course of action meant to minimize opposition to the attainment of a goal.

[mansion]

So "conservatism" is simply "whatever the Republican President is at any given moment"?

Sad, sad, sad.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Bush campaigned for Social Security individual investment accounts in 2000 but, with many congressional Republicans queasy, has not mentioned them much since. I think he is going to return to the issue next month and make Social Security a major issue in the campaign.

Most proposals have talked of letting you invest 2 percent of your 12.4 percent Social Security tax in the market. But the nonpartisan chief actuary of the Social Security Administration has just costed out a proposal to let you invest 6.4 percent and concluded that it would leave the system sound "through 2077 and beyond." Bush's Social Security appointees have been keeping in close touch with the leaders of the AARP, whose support was critical in passing the Medicare bill.

Individual investment accounts would move America toward more choice and accountability, away from dependence on big institutions and toward more independence and self-reliance. That is Bush's brand of conservatism, and it is in line with changes in the character of the country.

The critical point about "privatizing" Social Security investment is that it is the only possible way of relieving the burden of Social Security on the Treasury in the long run. So long as SSTF funds are (by law must be) "safely invested" in government bonds, the reality is that the SSTF funds are an engine of Treasury current-accounts overspending and of future tax increases to redeem the "safe" bonds in the SSTF.

Privatizing part of the SSTF means investment in the real economy, and reduced government obligation to tax our grandchildren to fund our retirement. It also means a long-term support to the stock market, not only helping the economy directly but sustaining the values of the taxable 401(k) retirement reserves--thereby boosting general-fund revenue just when the Treasury needs the help to redeem government bonds in the SSTF.

IOW privatizing the SSTF is sound finance on a multi-trillion $$ scale--and hence is a profoundly significant conservative decision. It would cover a multitude of sins against conservative principle. Liberals say that "our children are the future;" conservatives concern themselves about how present behavior affects our great-grandchildren yet unborn. That includes not only "the children" but their children, as adult parents.

[GulliverSwift]

Bush conservatism ping.

[GulliverSwift]

I'm going to be starting a Bush conservatism ping list. Please let me know if you want to be on it. You don't have to agree with him, either.

I'd also appreciate if folks would ping me to any relevant articles since I can't freep 24/7 (Not yet anyway x-)

[walden]

Bump

[William McKinley]

It is a step in the right direction, even if some of the details have been missteps.

It is one reason I have been so staunchly supportive of the guy.

The only thing he has done so far which has really caused me to howl was signing CFR.