Ooh, Ooh, Maybe This Will Make Them Like Us!

Human Events Online ^ | January 30, 2004 | Chris Field

[bigsky]

Conservatives were likely not thrilled see in the New York Times on Thursday morning that "President Bush will seek a big increase in the budget of the National Endowment for the Arts." Nor were they likely pleased that the White House political machine was going to send the First Lady out to do the dirty work of announcing a spending plan that would likely get up the dander of conservatives more than the idea of Bush having Ted Kennedy, Pat Leahy, and Tom Daschle over for a nice dinner at the President's Place to talk about everything but the need to get his judicial nominations confirmed.

As social conservatives are well aware, funding for the NEA -- in fact, the program's mere existence -- has long been a contentious issue. The battles of former Sen. Jesse Helms and other principled conservatives to de-fund and end the NEA are famous. Never were they successful in ending this tax-payer funding for many "art" pieces and performances that did nothing but offend the sensibilities of ordinary Americans. But they did effectively bring the NEA under heavy scrutiny and limit the organization's funding.

Why, then, is the Bush Administration working for an $18 million boost in the NEA budget -- an increase of 15 percent? Do they figure a thumb in the eye of conservatives is a good move to garner the friendship of Democrats?

Memo to the White House: The Democrats will NEVER like you. Appealing to their better nature is a futile attempt to gain friends.

Mr. President, remember the $328 billion omnibus spending package you signed last week that contained $10.7 billion in earmarks? Did your support of this spending bill gain for you the support of any Democrats?

You pushed for a massive increase in AIDS funding, did that get you anywhere with the Left?

In spite of the fact that you worked for and signed a massive new government entitlement program known as a Medicare Prescription Drug bill, liberals' attacks on you and your administration have remained as acerbic as ever.

Did you notice that despite working hand-in-hand with Teddy Kennedy to create the No Child Left Behind Act, he has only become more vitriolic about you?

You even signed the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill. Did it get you anywhere?

The $491-billion Farm Bill you signed has failed to make any Democrats more amicable.

Amnesty-masked-as-a-temporary-worker-program really did the trick, didn't it?

Mr. President, will your White House ever learn that nothing short of leaving Washington, D.C., forever will placate these shrill and hate-filled liberals?

[kimoajax]

The apple does not fall far from the tree.

[Cicero]

No question, this is Bush at his stupidest and least justifiable.

On balance, Bush is still the best president we have had since Reagan. Why does he let himself be persuaded to do these stupid, stupid things?

[Miss Marple]

The NEA isn't going to be abolished any time soon. It is too easy to sell to the public by bringing out the Hollywood types.

What Bush HAS done is appoint a guy who has ended the grants to perverted artists and redirect the NEA towards bringing the best of the old masters (Shakespeare, for example) and American classics to the public. They also are starting a program to show artists how to get private funding.

The idea that somehow Bush did this in order to get the left to love him is just ludicrous. If he were interested in that, he could have signed Kyoto and kowtowed to the UN.

I am glad to see that if we are stuck with this agency, we are at least going to use it as a force for taking back the culture.

[KateUTWS]

>>Why does he let himself be persuaded to do these stupid, stupid things?<<
That is the 500 billion dollar question!

[kevao]

Will that NEA artist who depicted Jesus in a jar of urine vote for Bush now? After all, $18 million is A LOT of money.

[Reagan Man]

Memo to the White House: The Democrats will NEVER like you. Appealing to their better nature is a futile attempt to gain friends.

PresBush continues spending taxpayer money on things that we conservatives don't support. Not only is he not making new friends on the left, he is alienating many in his conservative base and may lose support among more then just the hardcore rightwingers. Fiscal responsibility is a cornerstone of the conservative movement. At one time fiscal responsibility was a bedrock value of the GOP. That bedrock value is definitely not being applied any longer. I don't know why the President keeps making decisions that only serve piss many of his ardent conservative supporters.

The question is, how far is Bush-Rove willing to go in search of votes?

[Hoboken]

You know what, the liberals I know like me more now because I am furious with Bush's domestic policies. But I don't want liberals to like me!

[Inspectorette]

Uh, I don't think Robert Mapplethorpe is going to vote for anybody. He died a few years ago. (Unless, of course, he's buried in Chicago ;-)

[Guillermo]

Sheesh, no matter what Bush does, you're there to cheer it on.

I bet you were demanding the end of the NEA when Clinton was President...

[Guillermo]

Liberals are against the Cross in the Public Square, unless it's soaking in urine.

They're against Mary in the Public Square, unless she's smeared with feces.

[kevao]

I knew he was a sick man, but not a dead one.

[Miss Marple]

Oh, of course, I am simply a mindless Bush-bot.

My information is taken from articles in The New Criterion and National Review, both of which explained the situation.

I really don't care what you think. I post to explain things to lurkers, so that they get both sides of the story.

[kevao]

What if the President put $18 million in the budget for abortion clinics? Would you be ok with that, too? Can the President do ANYTHING wrong at all in your eyes?

[Miss Marple]

Robert Maplethorpe is dead, and has been for some time. As I said, the focus has been switched from individual grants (see Tha National Review for all the information).

[gooleyman]

Boy, Oh Boy, what ammo is he going to give the third partyers next?

He's making it tougher and tougher to run against the DemocRATS as a fiscal conservative. It's going to be a long hot summer (and fall.)

[Miss Marple]

No, I would not support abortion clinics. Money for Shakespeare productions in small towns is not like funding abortion clinics.

[ovrtaxt]

I never thought Freepers would someday defend the NEA.

I can't bring myself to call you a lib, (unlike what many bushbots have done to me lately), but are you still a conservative? Listen to yourself.

Why are you so afraid to criticise bad policy? Give Bush credit where it's due (and it's considerable), but have the honesty to admit when something is wrong.

[Guillermo]

You are the quintissential Bush-bot. You define the term.

Let's say for instance, that what you say is true.

Why is it necessary then to increase the budget?

Couldn't they do that with already existing funds?

Also, what did you think about them already increasing the projected costs for the Pill Bill from $400 Billion to $520 billion? Is this new entitlement (which will eventually cost 10 times more what they say it will cost) OK in your eyes as well?

[ovrtaxt]

I post to explain things to lurkers, so that they get both sides of the story.

I post to educate lurkers about the virtue of limited government, free markets and national sovereignty. Hopefully, they will come away with a healthy distrust for those who hold power, despite what they say is good for us.