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George F Will: Parsing the 'L' and 'C' labels
Seattle Post-Intelligencer ^ | October 15, 2004 | GEORGE F. WILL

Posted on 10/14/2004 9:37:32 PM PDT by Former Military Chick

WASHINGTON -- "It would be an irony of fate," said the governor as he left home and headed to Washington for his presidential inauguration, "if my administration had to deal chiefly with foreign affairs, for all my preparation has been in domestic matters." George W. Bush leaving Austin in January 2001? No, Woodrow Wilson leaving Princeton in March 1913.

Wednesday's debate finally focused attention on domestic policy, including such supposedly secondary matters as courts and the Constitution, education and taxation -- the government's claim on the individual's labor. And, most important, the stress that the retirement of 77 million baby boomers will put on the welfare state.

In the second debate, when President Bush at last unsheathed the L-word, Sen. John Kerry -- who in 1991 proclaimed "I'm a liberal and proud of it" -- flinched: "Labels don't mean anything." The reason conservatives do not talk like that was illustrated Wednesday. Kerry, a statist liberal in a conservative, antistatist country, begged the country to believe that the health care reform he, as the government's foremost officer, would have the government implement is "not a government plan." When Bush increased the megatonage of his bombardment with the K-word -- "Kennedy" -- Kerry responded not by defending liberalism but by trying to flank Bush on the right with five genuflections to "fiscal responsibility," three to "fiscal discipline" and one to being "fiscally sound."

(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.nwsource.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial
KEYWORDS: debates; domesticpolicy; georgewill; gwb2004; kerry; thirddebate
Although this article did not appear in the WashPost, it is still under the WashPost Writers Group so rather then wait for the admin. mod to come and change it I went ahead and excerpted when I posted it.
1 posted on 10/14/2004 9:37:32 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
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To: Former Military Chick

I can think of no higher homage paid to conservatism when a very liberal John Kerry feels compelled to run as a faux conservative.


2 posted on 10/14/2004 9:41:45 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: Former Military Chick

BTTT


3 posted on 10/14/2004 9:42:58 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi min oi)
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To: Former Military Chick

Will goes a bit red meat. The piece as a bit incoherent, but it is interesting that Will found his conservative side in this one.


4 posted on 10/14/2004 9:43:06 PM PDT by Torie
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To: Former Military Chick

I got my first mortgage at 41 years of age. It has changed me in a way that all the nagging, pleading and threats of several women could not. BUSH! BUSH! BUSH!


5 posted on 10/14/2004 9:47:00 PM PDT by wildcatf4f3 (out of the sun)
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To: Former Military Chick
Check this link. Maybe Will is syndicated, and it depends on the paper, not the writer.

'Small' NRA may have mighty influence on November election

6 posted on 10/14/2004 9:50:51 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi min oi)
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To: goldstategop

"I can think of no higher homage paid to conservatism when a very liberal John Kerry feels compelled to run as a faux conservative."

Kind of reminds me of the old saw, "Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue."


7 posted on 10/14/2004 11:14:17 PM PDT by dsc
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To: Torie

I tend to have a great deal of respect for Will. I sometimes differ with his point of view, but, I do think he stands on principle. Frankly he is also an Os fan and that makes him OK in my book.


8 posted on 10/15/2004 1:41:10 AM PDT by Former Military Chick (REALLY REALLY Ticked OFF in the heartland)
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To: wildcatf4f3

Lets see owning a home ... living with a woman ... owning a home .... living with a woman...

well if the house has a wing for the chick then you can ignore the nagging ...

otherwise congrats and they say a man's home is his castle


9 posted on 10/15/2004 1:43:06 AM PDT by Former Military Chick (REALLY REALLY Ticked OFF in the heartland)
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