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

SOTU transcript ^ | 1/22/04

[ohioWfan]

How curious of you to use the words "Bushbot" mindset about my understanding of the Scriptural mandate for Christians to be responsible citizens.

It has absolutely NOTHING to do with my support of President Bush, and that conviction of mine predated his Presidency by at least 30 years.

How warped your view is. And how very telling of where you're coming from.....

[Keith]

Clinton: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Bill Lann Lee

Bush: Miguel Estrada, Thomas Pickering, Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen...etc. etc...

THOSE are the important differences...differences which will be around DECADES after Bush has left the White House...

[kegler4]

Exactly right. If Bill Clinton had done the things you named and many others you didn't, the people here praising Bush would have been absolutely HOWLING with indignation. In my world we call that hypocrisy.

[RiflemanSharpe]

Sad but true

[ohioWfan]

Anxiety attacks?? Seriously?

Well perhaps the meds that are prescribed for them would help some of the fringers who seemed quite unhinged for a few days here........

[Kaslin]

He has lost my vote, it's up to him to earn it back. So far he is failing miserably.So you are going to vote for someone that has absolutely no chance to win the nomination and the presidency?

Good work. NOT

[MEG33]

How does that make you feel to think we are "scared".What positive results do you see from voting Constitution Party in Texas,where it is fairly certain that Texas will go for Bush.I hate for anyone to feel impotent.

[kegler4]

"In the case of George W. Bush, on a host of issues, this has been the most conservative president since Ronald Reagan."

This might have a already been said, but since Regean we've had George the first and Clinton. It's not too hard to be more conservative than those two.

[RiflemanSharpe]

Exactly right. If Bill Clinton had done the things you named and many others you didn't, the people here praising Bush would have been absolutely HOWLING with indignation. In my world we call that hypocrisy.

Mine too.

[deport]

Who is the candidate for president of the "Constitution Party" ?

---

They have a candidate named "Clymer" running for VP and someone named "Peroutka" running for President... or at least seeking their nomination.... The only ones listed that I see....

[Blzbba]

"...winning World War IV..."


Given the length of time it will take to change the mindset of terrorist countries, Bush won't be around to see the end of it, if it ever does actually end.

[onyx]

Normally, I read an entire thread and all comments before I comment, but reading one of yours is no different than reading another of yours.

So you're not voting for Bush. So you're voting 3rd Party. So what?

Cast your maturbatory vote, and go play with yourself. This is a discussion for grown-ups.

[i are a cowboy]

President Bush is trying to address a monstrous problem here in this country. He is beginning a dialog and a debate. No one else has a solution and he is willing to take the heat in order to find a solution. He has not issue a proclamation or an Executive Order.

Everybody out there that is taking shots and threatening to change their vote should instead start offering alternatives or enhancements to his proposal. If anyone thinks we can round up and deport millions of illegals is living on another planet.

Leadership means throwing out ideas and starting the discussion. If you have a solution let's hear it.

[Kaslin]

Good post.

BTTT

[Sabertooth]

Tonight, I also ask you to reform our immigration laws so they reflect our values and benefit our economy.

[SNIP]

I oppose amnesty, because it would encourage further illegal immigration, and unfairly reward those who break our laws. My temporary worker program will preserve the citizenship path for those who respect the law, while bringing millions of hardworking men and women out from the shadows of American life.

[ED. NOTE: The precedent for guest worker programs goes back at least to the Eisenhower administration.]

The Editor's note is even more disingenuous than the President's statement.

The Eisenhower Administration's guest worker program included the forced deportation of 1.4 million Illegal Aliens. The President's "guest worker" "not an Amnesty" Amnesty will reward millions of Illegal Aliens with legal status, and put them on the track to a green card and citizenship down the road.

The Editor even snipped out the most damning reference to the President's SOTU remarks regarding his proposal to legalize Illegals:

I propose a new temporary worker program to match willing foreign workers with willing employers when no Americans can be found to fill the job. This reform will be good for our economy because employers will find needed workers in an honest and orderly system. A temporary worker program will help protect our homeland, allowing Border Patrol and law enforcement to focus on true threats to our national security.
President George W. Bush
State of the Union Address – January 20th, 2004

The President didn't have the courage to mention his plan to legalize Illegals, but did mention his plan to subject any new American job to wage-depressing competition from as many foreign labor competitors as can be found.

The President is proposing to blow open our borders and admit as many actual "guest workers" beyond the Illegals his "not an Amnesty" Amnesty would legalize, as can be hired at minimum wage, or some other wage below what Americans would demand. All of these "guest workers" would be eligible for green cards and citizenship down the road.

Some temporary workers will make the decision to pursue American citizenship. Those who make this choice will be allowed to apply in the normal way. They will not be given unfair advantage over people who have followed legal procedures from the start.
Text of Bush immigration speech
President outlines plan to give illegals legal status

This is, of course, untrue, because the Amnestied Illegals would have an unfair advantage over legitimate guest worker and immigration applicants who haven't yet been admitted, but are patiently waiting and following our laws while they do so.

It's cynical to suggest that it's not an Amnesty when millions of Illegals are legalized and given a blue card, which they can bargain into a green card, from which they can negotiate citizenship.

President Bush is proposing Amnesty, even as he claims he opposes it.

Amnesty for Illegals does not in any way reflect American values, and that's why the President is struggling so mightily to pretend that his Amnesty isn't what it obviously is.

No, that's not conservative. Neither is it conservative to enable the dissembling coming from the President and the Administration on the matter of his proposal to legalize Illegal Aliens. Splitting hairs over the definition of Amnesty is Clintonian, not conservative. Claiming that giving so-called legal "guest worker" status to Illegals is not a reward is simply dishonest.

Nor is it honest or conservative for the Editor of this piece to imply that the Bush "not an Amnesty" Amnesty is in any way built on the precedent of Eisenhower guest worker program, since Eisenhower deported most of the Illegals at the time, unlike President Bush, who would reward most of them with legal status.

Eisenhower didn't have a guest worker program that was built on appeasement of Illegal Aliens and their advocates. President Bush would like one.

[PhiKapMom]

And those of us who's vote he's lost aren't thinking about ourselves, we're thinking about the future of the country. Certainly more so than those willing to follow blindly while W writes blank check after blank check.

Glad you know that you won't support Pres Bush in 2004 -- please quit being a hypocrite and change your screen name?

You are also the person who told me that contacting over 600 (?) Members of Congress is a waste of time but you come on here and continually trash the President about the budget.

Government 101 Lesson #2 -- President proposes the Budget; Congress approves their version of the Budget and Appropriates the Money which goes to the President to sign. What happened in the 90's when the Republicans objected to the budget and the Government was shut down -- Clinton came out a winner and we looked like a bunch of obstructionist. Maybe you want to shut down Government in an election year, but I certainly don't.

Have you bothered to take a look at how much additional funding has been necessary since 9/11 or how much funding has been necessary to fund our military from all the cuts they took during the Clinton years?

[looscnnn]

Did I say that I was going to be a Libertarian? Say it with me, noooooo. I knew you could. I am looking at either the Reform or the Constitution party.

[kegler4]

Regean=Reagan

[carton253]

Crap... and you know it.

Both candidates offered prescription plans... both candidates had a plan on how that should look.I would rather Republicans be in charge instead of Democrats of the bill.

Campaign Finance Reform - no... don't like the bill. But... still going to vote for the President.

2nd Amendment - oh heaven help us if you can't have your precious guns and semi-automatic rifles, etc. If the automatic assault weapons ban is upheld (I don't expect it to be) then I will still vote for the President.

If, for some strange reason, I don't measure up to your political standards... I am going to take that as a good thing.

[Sloth]

How about Souter, Stevens, O'Connor and Kennedy? All nominated by Republican presidents.