The Mask Is Off

Joseph Sobran’s Washington Watch ^ | 12/11/03 | Joe Sobran

[Burkeman1]

I did a proper search on the FR search engines and came up empty on this. If I am wrong and this a dupe I am sorry.

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[Burkeman1]

Ping!

[Burkeman1]

Oh Geez - not again! But I will!

[Alberta's Child]

He has joined the free-for-all of socialist entitlements, hoping to reap his reward in the 2004 election by taking the senior vote from the Democrats who until now have virtually owned it.

The author is correct in criticizing Bush on this issue, but for the wrong reasons. The primary purpose of the Medicare prescription drug plan is not to provide an entitlement to seniors, but to provide a major financial boost to large U.S. corporations with a lot of retirees -- by removing these retirees from the lifetime medical plans that these companies offered to their retired workers.

[Cultural Jihad]

If I am wrong and ... a dupe I am sorry.

No comment there, Burkeman1. But regarding the article, it would be ideal if the Federal government were smaller. Most non-ideologue-types won't use its size as any exclusive measure of conservatism, though.

[Burkeman1]

Sure. Enjoy George Will and Jonah Golberg as your "conservative" commentators.

[Burkeman1]

I agree with that assessment but it has the same political result overall.

[GeronL]

Did he leave out the benefits for the illegals??

Another liberal Bush program?

[rmlew]

This may be a sound political calculation, but it throws an odd light on all those neoconservatives and nominal conservatives who have been praising Bush for having the courage of his convictions. Just what convictions have they been referring to?
If conspiracy Joe were paying attention to reality, he would know that both establishment conservatives and neoconservatives opposed the Medicare expansion and the growth of other entitlement programs.

[Burkeman1]

Are you kidding? Bush ran on a pro Illegal platform! He is hardley a hypocrite on that issue.

[Burkeman1]

If conspiracy Joe were paying attention to reality, he would know that both establishment conservatives and neoconservatives opposed the Medicare expansion and the growth of other entitlement programs.

And yet both houses that are Republican controlled supported this left wing atrocity? How does that prove your point at all? "Conspiracy Joe" has always said Bush wasn't a Conservative? What is your excuse?

[GeronL]

"we shouldn't balance the budget on the backs of the poor"... remember when Bush said that? I knew he wasn't a fiscal conservative on spending WAY back then. Thats why this texan voted for Keyes in the primary.

[Burkeman1]

I am a Keyes supporter a well! I met him in Boston and his wife. Very gracious and not stuck up at all.

[GeronL]

I think Keyes is probably more effective in the media though. Like Buchanan before he went weird, although I remember supporting Pat against Dole in the primaries too... although I don't think I actually voted.

I have idea's for how the Constitution Party could be used to push the GOP to the right, and running a guy for President is not one of them.

[Burkeman1]

Not on the third party band wagon myself yet. I still hold hope Bush will pull out and get the USSC back to reading law rather than making it. It is the conservative thing to do.

[GeronL]

Bush is not a fiscal conservative on spending and government activism. Thats very sad, not too surprising though.

I think the CP should field maybe a dozen serious candidates for the US House and Senate where they might actually win. If they get a few seats in the House they will be more effective in getting their message out than they are now.

[jagrmeister]

I am not against any and all government spending. Prescription drugs for seniors is something I'm willing to cough up for. Over time, private retirement accounts will ideally replace Medicare and Social Security.

[Burkeman1]

Why are you here? Did you read the mission statement of this board?

[Burkeman1]

Prescription drugs for seniors is something I'm willing to cough up for.

How happy! And if I am not? I don't have a gubmint Job see? What a total and complete donkey statement from an establishment boob and lackey. Hey socialist who pretends to be capitalist- get lost.