"Bush is ticking off his base on two fronts: 1) out-of-control deficit spending; and 2) a radical amnesty plan to legalize millions of illegal immigrants and to hugely increase immigration levels."
TWO QUESTIONS:
1.) Who comprises the President's base? Libertarians? Bucchannites? Members of the Consitution Party? Republicans?
If you answered Republicans, you would be correct! In last week's ABCNews/WashingtonPost Poll, 93% of Republicans indicated that they APPROVE of the President's job performance!
2.) If, as you claim, the "base" disapproves of the President's performance relative to the two issues you identify, on what issues (policy or performance) does the base agree?
--WAR ON TERROR? (THE overriding issue!)
--NATIONAL SECURITY?
--ECONOMIC PRO-GROWTH AGENDA? (a comprehensive pro-marriage, pro-small business plan that includes MUCH more than simple tax relief)
--PRO-LIFE INITIATIVES? (e.g., Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, Partial Birth Abortion ban, support for Unborn Victims of Violence Act, funding for crisis pregnancy centers, adoption programs, and on and on and on)
--CHARACTER/LEADERSHIP/FAITH?
--and so on, and so on, and so on
I'll answer by citing the following comments from the President's BASE ('real' people NOT policy wonks/ideological demagogues -- and no, I'm not saying you qualify as the latter):
"President Bush enjoyed a friendly crowd at Roswell’s Convention and Civic Center (NM) on Thursday as he hammered home points from this week’s State of the Union address.
Curry County Sheriff Roger Hatcher was among the supporters.
“I’m glad we have a president with backbone, who’s not afraid to make difficult decisions, regardless of how it affects his chances for re-election,”
The people of the world trust the word of America,” he said to whoops and hollers from the crowd.
Sheriff Hatcher summarized Bush’s speech as “excellent,” and Undersheriff Doug Bowman agreed with him.
“I’m grateful for his respect for law enforcement and the military. We’ve got a president who stands behind us 110 percent,” Bowman said.
Jordan Strebeck, a Clovis High School senior and student body president, also made the trip to Roswell. He said for someone who is interested in politics, Bush’s speech was “one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.”
“I think he really cares about America and the people of America,” he added.
Strebeck’s friend Jason Seefeld, also a CHS senior, said Bush’s stands on the war on terror and home-front security impressed him.
“It was a once-in-a lifetime experience for us to come here and hear what he had to say,” Seefeld said.
Roswell resident Dottie Edwards said this was only the second time a sitting president has visited Roswell. Ronald Reagan visited the city in 1984. She said what she liked best about Bush’s speech was his honesty about the issues."
http://cnjonline.com/engine.pl?station=clovis&template=storyfull.html&id=4010