So you think George W. Bush is not a conservative?

SOTU transcript ^ | 1/22/04

[George W. Bush]

Now THAT was funny!

You're welcome!

[ohioWfan]

So you would rather have the country in moral decline, selling secrets to the Chinese, decimating the military, because you knew what to expect from the President?

And you'd rather NOT have America be strong, have tax cuts, have abortion be curbed, have the military restored because you the President doesn't do everything the way you EXPECT him to?

And this makes sense to you?

[My2Cents]

Well said. I retract Hagel from the list of usual suspects. But my point is still valid.

[My2Cents]

LOL...Thanks for the encouragement. I have something to shoot for.

[Howlin]

Could be.

[TruthNtegrity]

Bumping and bookmarking.

[MEG33]

I hate PORK.I hate fruitless boondoggle programs. I believe some programs are good for the safety and wellbeing of the whole community,not just who the program is aimed at.

I squirm over anything that smells of socialism,yet we all insure and something's gone nuts over health costs.He promised a prescription drug benefit.

I believe the tax cuts will eventually help unemployment more.

I know SOMETHING must be done about the illegal alien problem,short of the round up of 8 million.There must be enforcement with the carrot.

I believe we need a strong military and a CIC who has our country's security as a priority.I believe that man is George Bush.I trust him.

God bless our armed forces and all who support them while they wait at home.

[Howlin]

There is absolutely no way George W. Bush will implement ANYTHING to do with immigration by executive order.

Whoever told you that is a liar.

[af_vet_rr]

But just as FDR used government spending (and WWII) to help dig the country out of the Great Depression - I believe a lot of Bush's spending has been inspired by helping the economy recover.

That doesn't make it right - but, I believe its the unstated truth.

No, it doesn't make it right. Most of us know that once politicians start spending our money on new programs, or spending more of it on old programs, that it would take a massive effort to reverse that.

It's a lot easier to just not spend money on new programs or not spend more on old, than it is to reduce spending in the future.

[Wolfstar]

I am more than pleased to defer to your knowledge on this subject, Sabertooth. You have informed yourself very thoroughly on it while I have not. However, the current political climate is not favorable to proposals such as yours succeeding. For example, a number of the leaders in the Arizona congressional delegation are pushing for a guest worker program. New Mexico, with Bill Richardson as governor, would like to lead the way toward open borders. Texas, although a conservative state, has long had kind of a blurry border with Mexico. And I don't need to tell you about California.

The Democratic, Libertarian and Green parties all want to erase the border altogether. Only the more conservative members of Congress (most not from border states) are holding the line on this issue. The President, as a former governor of a border state, is not unlike most other border state politicians on this issue. So how do the kinds of reforms you propose ever rise to the point of becoming serious legislation with a chance of passage?

[Southack]

"But you have to admit, the spending of this House, Senate and President is obscene. Right?"

Yes, the spending has been bad. CFR was a miscalculation, too. These things happen. They are, however, correctable.

And that's something that you can't say to a child who has just been aborted or a city that has just been nuked for lack of a national missile defense shield...

[Poohbah]

Dude, that's f-ing gross.

[BJClinton]

Xlinton would've done the same thing in his 3rd term (if able).

That's my problem, 'Clinton would have done the same thing'. Although he probably would have done worse.

[ohioWfan]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't DO THAT, Dolly!!!

[Howlin]

MY EYES! MY EYES!

[Wolfstar]

Thanks, I appreciate your clarification.

[Happy2BMe]

"But it should also be pointed out that President Bush will never, NEVER espouse, endorse, propose, 100% of the 'conservative' doctrine- whatever that is. He will never satisfy anyone's (especially the infighting among conservatives as to who is 'really' conservative) beliefs, platforms, etc. 100%- no politician ever will."

The turnip wagon came through here a long time ago, and I did not fall off of it.

Dubya has been true to "most" of the Republican platform.

Immigration reform is not one of them.

Are you two aware the Bush Administration has directed INS agents to cease even arresting or going near known illegal migrants in cities located throughout Souther California?

It's this other 5% that is going to jump up and bite Bush hard.

Border Patrol orders agents to restrict forays into cities.

The Plight of the U.S. Border Patrol - INS Being Strapped From Fullfilling It's Job

[Bikers4Bush]

No, what I have said is that I want better than what is being currently done.

My point was that at least I knew what to expect from clinton. I thought I knew what to expect from Bush but he has proven me wrong too often lately.

My tax cuts have gained me nothing, state and local have made up their short falls by taking that. The late term abortion ban has to date not stopped a single late term abortion so it is hollow at this point. The military and the WOT are currently the only bright spots for me.

[George W. Bush]

A very significant portion of Bush's increases have been for descretionary non-defense spending. Here are his numbers compared to a true conservative.

Well, I hate to be the one to say it but isn't it more relevant to evaluate these on, say, what percentage of national GDP each president proposes to spend on each of these categories?

After all, a listing like yours doesn't really tell us what Reagan's or Bush's spending increased or decreased from.