George W. Bush Angers Conservatives

NewsMax | February 8, 2004 | NewsMax e-mail

[COURAGE]

George W. Bush Angers Conservatives

Howard Dean isn't the only presidential candidate suffering a self-inflicted meltdown. There's a certain Republican with the same problem, and we don't mean Wesley Clark the former Reaganite.

President Bush has so angered his conservative base by spending more than any Democrat in history and pandering to illegal aliens that Republican congressmen, stunned by constituents' complaints, met privately with Karl Rove to unload, the Washington Times revealed Friday.

"I would say 97 out of 100 of our members who asked questions laid into him pretty good about spending and the lack of discipline on the administration's part," said Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Fla.

The White House, however, does not seem to be taking the problem seriously. Presidential spokesman Trent Duffy said Bush wanted "to broaden the party."

Good luck with that sorry strategy. Those who try to be all things to all people end up standing for nothing and having nothing. Proof of this tactic's failure: The more money Bush squanders, the Democrats attack him.

Wall Street Journal columnist John Harwood notes that Bush is getting socked from the right and the left and has only himself to blame.

Harwood traces the recent plunge in Bush's popularity to four events:

The uproar caused by former Treasury secretary Paul O'Neill undermined Bush's biggest asset: his image as "a strong leader, with capable advisers, who talks straight."

The State of the Union speech deepened misgivings on Capitol Hill. Bush blamed the GOP-controlled Congress for his own massive spending and deficits, and angered Democrats when he "improbably suggested that he had been vindicated" on what he now calls "weapons-of-mass-destruction-related program activities."

After insisting his humongous expansion of Medicare would cost $400 billion over a decade, he jacked up the estimate to $540 billion. Democrats, of course, say the program should be even more gargantuan, and conservatives don't want it at all.

The latest insult: a record deficit of $521 billion this year in a $2.4 trillion budget that pleases no one. This from a man who said "we can proceed with tax relief without fear of budget deficits." Most damning of all is a statistic the Journal published recently. Bush increased domestic discretionary spending by a record 8.2 percent, compared to 2.5 percent for Bill Clinton, 2 percent for Jimmy Carter and 4.3 percent for Lyndon Johnson.

Harwood notes that "just as with the nose-diving candidacy of Howard Dean, the problem is largely self-inflicted."

[waRNmother.armyboots]

Congress controls the purse strings. Bush could have vetoed it, but the reality is that the congressman have only themselves to look at on the deficit. It was the Republican House that controlled Clinton's spending.

[thesummerwind]

Pretty smelly article...........

The next nine months will be interesting.

G.W. didn't do himself any favors with that halting MTP interview by the obnoxious prosecuting attorney, Tim 'Fist Face' Russert.

[FreedomSurge]

There is another issue causing Bush's decrease in popularity. I think when he proposed the amnesty people's views of him changed. I don't think the polling pick will pick this up as a cause. I think that most will attribute their change of heart to other issues than immigration.

[COURAGE]

I agree, they also added pork themselves. So when you can say President Kerry and the Demorats win the House back, you can look back and see why.

[goldstategop]

The Bush bots will argue the President can do no wrong even when he spends like a liberal Democrat. ;-)

[over3Owithabrain]

I have to say there has been a lack of coherent "strategery" from the Bush camp in 2004. appears to be listing to and fro, making no one happy.

[My Favorite Headache]

Bump to that. W is lookin like a 1 termer.

[xJones]

I think when he proposed the amnesty people's views of him changed. I don't think the polling pick will pick this up as a cause. I think that most will attribute their change of heart to other issues than immigration.

God help us, at this point would a Democratic president propose more generous term for illegals?

[My Favorite Headache]

W and Rove have always been about doing it on their own time and letting things blow over. What they have to realize is that the Democrats are as fired up as Republicans were in 2000 to get Clinton out of office.

Bush and Rove better start throwing bones to Conservatives in the next 3-4 months or I see a lot of people staying home this November.

Bush is just another Rocka-fella otherwise.

[COURAGE]

This might be holding your powder dry and don't shoot until you see the botiox in his eyes, but some sniping back should start.

[My Favorite Headache]

Rove is a big believer in the book The Art of War. I know what pages he is playing and he better realize that the Dem's have bought that book as well.

[NautiNurse]

I have heard from several of the normally conservative elderly population on this topic in the past three days. They brought up the subject--not me.

Each one of them has said, "I like John Kerry."

OMG...

[Terry Mross]

As it stands right now I think Bush just may be in trouble. I've said it before and I'll say it again, when the repubs took congress in '94 it was the worst thing that ever happened to this country. Had that not happened Clinton would have been a one termer. But, we got him for two terms and a repub controlled congress that constantly hands control to the dems. They may be in the majority but they're certainly not in control.

[thesummerwind]

By the way, this is what Peggy Noonan said yesterday.

"Tim Russert, the tough interviewer who's an equal-opportunity griller of Democrats ...... he has heroic concentration and a face like a fist."

"an equal-opportunity griller of Democrats" -- yeh sure, Peggy. You're losing it, Peggy. Did you see his preening LOVEFEST a couple of months ago with Hillary? They almost sucked face!

Bush has inflicted some wounds to himself for sure, but Russert was a disrespectful, arrogant pig yesterday, and made the interview a very uncomfortable affair.

[over3Owithabrain]

I'm starting to fear that Bush may not "want it" that much, kind of like his father. Not in a bad way, it's just these guys don't live or die on politics like the Clintons. W may feel that he did all he could this term and wouldn't mind joining his pop on the golf course and in box seats at ballgames. Being President since 9/11, with daily terrorism reports and pure hatred directed at you all over the world and here at home must be draining.

[COURAGE]

Also, if you went to war about WMDs, there better be WMDs. On a side note about this, I think they have some, not much, so they might lower the expectations and the Ketchup man goes out on a branch. "Looky, looky here..." I hope.

[thesummerwind]

What they have to realize is that the Democrats are as fired up as Republicans were in 2000 to get Clinton out of office.

Even more fired up, IMO.

And they have fraud on their side.

[over3Owithabrain]

Noonan made some good points in that screed but the pro-Russert ones weren't among them. If Bush is losing her too we're screwed.

[COURAGE]

No they are keeping there powder dry. He wants it. H.W. Bush was sick at the time. Not to mentioned the Little General didn't help.