Republican malaise

townhall.com ^ | 3-4-04 | Robert Novak

[Fishface]

Republican malaise Robert Novak (back to web version) | Send March 4, 2004

WASHINGTON -- At 1 p.m. on Feb. 25, some 15 prominent Republicans invited to be surrogates in the coming presidential campaign gathered at Bush-Cheney headquarters in suburban Northern Virginia for a private briefing. Less than two hours earlier that day, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan detonated a political bombshell. To judge from the bland and uninformative briefing, nobody on the president's campaign team heard the explosion.

Former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot, a Washington lawyer-lobbyist who last year resigned as figurehead chairman of the Republican National Committee to become figurehead chairman of Bush-Cheney '04, led the precisely orchestrated, one-hour briefing. He did not mention that Greenspan had just testified to Congress advocating reduced Social Security benefits. Racicot might be excused for being silent and unaware of the central banker's latest political mischief, since it also escaped the attention that morning of key Bush policymakers.

The invited advocates were handed a thick batch of talking points to ingest by the campaign's appropriately named chief of surrogates, Julie Cram. Nowhere in the handout did the forbidden words "Social Security" appear. "The president's opponents are against personal retirement accounts" is the closest the briefing material came to the dreaded subject. Many prospective surrogates left campaign headquarters profoundly depressed by the mediocre briefing and the material given them.

This fits the deepening malaise among Republicans in the capital. They are neither surprised nor terribly worried by polls that temporarily show George W. Bush trailing John Kerry. What worries the GOP faithful is the absence of firm leadership in their party either at the White House or on Capitol Hill.

The lack of a ready response to Greenspan, while Democrats quickly turned his comments into an indictment of President Bush's tax cuts, was not an isolated failing. Today, Republicans on either end of Pennsylvania Avenue seem to be going in opposite directions.

-- Disagreement between congressional Republicans and Bush over the size of the highway bill reflects mutual recriminations over runaway federal spending in general. While the president's aides are angered by the lawmakers' addiction to concrete, conservative lawmakers are furious that Bush's budget has preserved and actually increased federal funding for the arts.

-- Bush's call to make his tax cuts permanent and to repeal the estate tax for all time leaves Republicans in Congress perplexed about how they will be able to write a budget without a massive increase in the huge deficit that never will command a majority vote.

-- House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and his allies are bitter that they received no backing from the president and administration in their efforts to keep the independent 9-11 investigation from extending into the campaign season.

-- The president came out for a constitutional amendment to bar gay marriage without consulting congressional Republican leaders, which helps explain the unenthusiastic reception from his own party on Capitol Hill.

-- Congressional Republicans still have not recovered from the shock of the President's Economic Report extolling the outsourcing of industrial jobs -- good economics perhaps, bad politics definitely.

The disaffection is such that over the last two weeks, normally loyal Republicans -- actually including more than a few members of Congress -- are privately talking about political merits in the election of Sen. Kerry. Their reasoning goes like this: There is no way Democrats can win the House or Senate even if Bush loses. If Bush is re-elected, Democrats are likely to win both the House and Senate in a 2006 midterm rebound. If Kerry wins, Republicans will be able to bounce back with congressional gains in 2006.

To voice such heretical thoughts suggests that Republicans on Capitol Hill are more interested in maintaining the fruits of majority status first won in 1994 rather than in governing the country. A few thoughtful GOP lawmakers ponder the record of the first time in 40 years that the party has controlled both the executive and legislative branches, and conclude that record is deeply disappointing.

But incipient heresy also reflects shortcomings of the Bush political operation. Its emphasis has been on fund-raising and organization, with deficiencies in communicating and leadership. The president is in political trouble, and his disaffected supporters who should be backing him aggressively provide the evidence.

[Coop]

What do you think about this? Novak knows his stuff.

Bwahahahahahaaaaa!!!!

The week wouldn't be complete without a Novak hit piece on President Bush.

Tell me, please. How does one equate $150+ million and ~90% approval among Pubbies with malaise?

[Howlin]

That she was.

Let's all pretend nobody in Washington knows who is CIA and who isn't.

Can you suspend reality?

[miloklancy]

This would explain why CNN considers him one of their chief conservative commentators. Novak is probably lying (not about being a Dem) and possibly at the urging of his cohorts at CNN. His assertion that some in the GOP think they can maintain control of Congress without Bush is idiotic. The GOP majority in the Senate is narrow and let's not fool ourselves, Bush had a great deal to do with the GOP being able to bolster it's majority in the House and reclaim the Senate in 2002.

[King Black Robe]

Yeah, I know and you are right. At the same time the argument about what value has power if principle is lost has merit as well.

I am a one issue voter this time around -- proudly -- and Bush is firmly on my side. But I am only one voter, and not everyone sees power as the ultimate end.

[Fishface]

How much information do you want here?

[keysguy]

"Novak is cnn's idea of a conservatiave"--Not necessarily so. I have always seen Novak as sort of his own man. I don't think he takes advice or support from anyone. I do feel however that he thinks both parties kinda suck. Let's face it you have demonrats that would like to be us and republicans that more a more are "big spenders" not standing up for conservative ideals every chance they get and a plethora of other mideeds to numerous to renumerate. No wonder Novak is confused. I'm confused. Maybe he is just trying to show us the light.

[Howlin]

Contrary to popular opinion around here, just because people support Bush doesn't mean they are power mad.

I know that makes "good copy" but some of us actually CAN think for ourselves. :-)

[CommerceComet]

Good old Bob has never seen a cloud that he couldn't find a dark lining on. I stopped reading him a long time ago because he was usually wrong and always depressing. Excessive negatism is just as blinding as excessive optimism but excessive negatism is much less fun to read.

[sanjacjake]

Novakis a Washington insider..who happens to pass as a
conservative....anyone that can stand being around Al Hunt
and those libs on Capital gang has to be brain dead half-
of the time.
Freepers...Rush has more insight to the scene in DC than
those that are close to the action...remember forest,trees,
etc.....??? Jake

[mrsmith]

"events such as the FMA announcement have been amongst the most poorly organized political maneuvers "

The FMA 'maneuver' was excellent if the intent was to have it present as an issue during the election season.
Obviously it's good politics to have a favorable issue present in the election. It's also sound governance to have it openly debated by the electorate.

[Howlin]

His assertion that some in the GOP think they can maintain control of Congress without Bush is idiotic.

And yet I see posters right here on FR advocating that.

[AntiGuv]

I honestly don't have an opinion on what the polls indicate in terms of weakness or strength in the respective contenders. I just take them for what they are and I know that everyone will try to interpret them in favor of their favorite.

This is what I know: If Kerry wins in November, the current polls will be interpreted as a sign of Bush weakness & Kerry strength (i.e., 'Bush was trailing most of the year, as the voters rallied around his opponent in their search for an change in Washington'). If Bush wins in November, the current polls will be interpreted as a sing of Kerry weakness and Bush strength (i.e., 'Kerry was never able to capitalize on widespread concerns about the economy and the situation in Iraq, despite early polls indicating a competitive election').

So, whatever. We shall see what happens. These polls are meaningless.

[Howlin]

Freepers...Rush has more insight to the scene in DC than those that are close to the action

How?

[OldFriend]

Novak is a senile old fool who every once in a while has a good column. For the most part he's full of bleep.

[Williams]

Dear Friends: One can make all sorts of rationalizations, but those who have had the misfortune of dealing with Republican "leadership" know they are the original wimps. I am writing this from a Republican neighborhood in a town with not a single Republican in office. A few years back, as the dems beat the repubs brains in, the "leadership" knowingly told me how great it would be to have the dems in power for a few years so they could "screw things up" and people would be clamoring for republicans. Alas, taxes are up, the dems sell the town's development to their cronies, republican neighborhoods are targeted for every inconvenience - and the republicans are broke and hopeless.

The only significant leadership in this country is the Presidency and God Bless President Bush.

[keysguy]

I have a close relative in a sensitive position, if anyone published their name I woudld be livid.

[Hank Rearden]

The record of Republican control of Congress indicates that Novak is exactly correct - now that they're in charge of Big Stupid Republican Government, all they care about is grabbing more power and more of our money.

Where's that "limited government" we were sold in the 90s?

And they expect me to vote for more of what they've done to this point?

[King Black Robe]

LOL.

Hey, I did notice something that may or may not have significance. An earlier presidential election poll on this site had Bush winning only 74% of the freeper vote. Now he has 88% (we have some Democrat spies around here -- sinkspur & others...). I know I represent one of the additional 14% for Bush. Why you may wonder. It's the FMA: Winning and principled position.

[Howlin]

I agree 100 percent. They won't matter until after the conventions.

My point was that even in the polls, that's the best Kerry is doing after all the "help" he's getting from the media.