GOP slams Bush policies at retreat

The Washington Times ^ | 2/6/04 | By Ralph Z. Hallow and James G. Lakely

[ovrtaxt]

Growing frustration over President Bush's immigration plan and lack of fiscal discipline came to a head behind closed doors at last weekend's Republican retreat in Philadelphia.

House lawmakers, stunned by the intensity of their constituents' displeasure at some of Mr. Bush's key domestic policies, gave his political strategist Karl Rove an earful behind closed doors.

[ovrtaxt]

Because the Republicans know that *we* are the voters who sent them there. When we scream, they listen. We see it already, the Bush admin making the case that they are fiscally tightfisted (I dont buy it, but it's a start).

I 50% agree. I think it's going to take an event of some sort, or perhaps a sustained general climate of discontent in DC, to really get their attention. We seem to have the House's attention, the WH is another matter.

The Senate is darn near impossible at this stage. Maybe after Nov?

I sure hope it works. We need to keep making noise.

[cyborg]

Rove needs his a$$ turned inside out. Glad he got a good buttwhipping.

[sauropod]

So we're just supposed to shut up, i suppose.

"Your papers please!

[NYC GOP Chick]

"He has done this at the very time that the President is trying to increase Hispanic support in the party, and he has made no effort to sound conciliatory."

Whoopdie-Kerrying-Doo!

OK, what I'm having trouble understanding is how rewarding people who come to and/or stay in this country illegally is supposed to garner electoral support from people who either came here legally or whose family did so -- the people who filled out the forms, waited on lines, paid fees, waited for bureaucratic responses, etc.

If I or my parents did everything by the book and came here legally, I'd be furious that those who jumped the line and broke the law weren't being sent back and told to stay there. Frankly, I'd feel like a schmuck.

[sauropod]

"Government spending isn't a big deal to me."

Bingo!

[NYC GOP Chick]

Whoa!

[sauropod]

Precisely.

[inquest]

OK, what I'm having trouble understanding is how rewarding people who come to and/or stay in this country illegally is supposed to garner electoral support from people who either came here legally or whose family did so -- the people who filled out the forms, waited on lines, paid fees, waited for bureaucratic responses, etc.

Yes, that is does indeed show a missing link in the official reasoning. The answer, IMHO, is that it's not about electoral politics at all, but about FTAA politics. The Mexican government has shown a great deal of interest in our immigration policies.

[sauropod]

"Execute a third-party tantrum over every slight, real and imagined...and watch the GOP go court someone else's vote, because you're telling them that you cannot be relied on in any way, shape, or form."

Let it happen. I'm ready.

[hchutch]

Why don't yopu actually ADDRESS my arguments rather than violate the rules on profanity.

[RJCogburn]

Let it happen. I'm ready.

Don't know about a third party but...count me in.

[sauropod]

No sympathy for you at all.

You have shown no motivating force of any kind for moving the "moderates" in our direction.

Why is it that we always have to move toward the center?

[sauropod]

You ain't no conservative, pal.

[hchutch]

Maybe you should re-read the post. I've backed conservatives who were stabbed in the back by RINOs. If you don't like the fact that I have no sympathy for back-stabbers.

The onyl thign that grates on you is that I don't cut backstabbers of YOUR persuasion any slack. How dare I have the gall to not have a dobule standard? How DARE I disagree with the self-appoitned arbiters of what is and what is not a conservative position?

Go ahead, take your best shot.

[hchutch]

Who appointed you the arbiter of who is and is not a conservative?

[Texasforever]

You ain't no conservative, pal.

What are you smoking?

[wimpycat]

He got it straight from the Rosetta Stone. Poohbah's name is not written in the Big Book of Conservatives.

[nopardons]

Because there are far more of them, than us.

[sauropod]

It's both really.