Posted on 12/19/2004 7:51:50 PM PST by crushelits
President Bush's second-term plans to reshape Social Security, immigration laws and other domestic programs are facing a stiff challenge from a group that was reliably accommodating in the president's first four years: congressional Republicans.
After essentially rubber-stamping much of Bush's first-term agenda, many House and Senate Republicans plan to assert themselves more forcefully to put their mark on domestic policy in the new year, according to several lawmakers.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) has privately criticized White House handling of the recent intelligence bill and Bush's plan to postpone tax reform until 2006 or later. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) and others have publicly complained about the political and fiscal hazards of overhauling Social Security. Several senators, including a few 2008 presidential contenders, are rushing to promote their own Social Security plans to compete with Bush's.
And a number of conservative Republicans such as Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), who are concerned about states' rights, are threatening to derail the White House plan to impose federal limits on medical lawsuits. "It's one of the worst bills going," Graham said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Its time to slash the culture of big government in Washington. Right now its the nearest thing, as Ronald Reagan once quipped, that we have to eternal life on Earth. If Republicans won't step up to the plate and start reining it back in, who will? That's the issue of the 21st Century.
More aggressive? Spend more? More pork?
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...
I trust Tom DeLay's instincts. I won't say that about many of the rest of `em. But I hope we do it his way. He cracks the whip on the House.
Why would Senator Graham call for higher taxes? What happens to these guys when they get to the senate? Bad air there or what?
Why doesn't WaPo just sub-title it "Please, please!"
I agree. I love our President for defending our country, a good Cabinet. But W is a LIBERAL. And THAT twists my shorts. I would shut down Washington, DC in a heartbeat. The UN would be toast within hours. The United States Miliraty would be the ONLY recipient of American taxpayers' confiscated earnings.
I don't know. Karen and I paid $65k last year, and our kids are out of the house. What do we get? ZERO. If I pay ZERO, for something, then I expect ZERO. Can someone explain the cause and effect dis-connect to us? /sarcasm.
When I was a kid and got a snake bite living in Dingmans Ferr, PA; the doctor showed up, gave me an anti snake-bite venom shot, Dad paid him $12 bucks and the doctor went back to town.
Does ANYONE under-fliipin-Stand what the hell is happening here... today?
Some very interesting points in the full article:
-Frist wants Rove to run his 2008 campaign, and is likely to be accomodating to the Administration. I guess it's up to the House to stop illegal alien amnesty.
-Bush leaning toward proposing a detailed Social Security plan in January, but not yet decided.
-Hagel and McCain likely to be grandstanding in the Senate, in anticipation of 2008 primary
Will Jim and Chuck - you may get what ALL Dem want - stiffling big gubment. But I think you underestimate the next Congress. We'll see.
Bingo. I was making a ton of money as a consultant, earning huge bonuses, winning company awards... working 60 hours a week. Then I decided, fukc it. I'm not going to fuel the IRS with my labor. So I went back to a normal 45 hour work week; my boss asked me to explain, I responded, he had nooo problem with my logic and attitude.
You are absolutely correct. The government encourages lazy, non-performance.
Then again, Kerry only shows up for work 14% of the time and we pay him $200,000 a year.
oh well?!?!
I really think it's vital for conservatives to start stumping now for Gov. Mark Sanford to run in 2008. Here is some great reading material on Sanford:
Draft Mark Sanfor 2008: http://draftsanford.cjb.net/
American's Most Conservative Governor: http://acuf.org/issues/issue15/040703news.asp
National Review on Mark Sanford: http://www.nationalreview.com/murdock/murdock200406280927.asp
Mark Sanford, a Neo-Reagan, Runs for Governor in South Carolina: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/9/27/181058.shtml
Tucker Carlson on Sanford:
Stephen (Washington, DC):
What do you think of Governor Mark Sanford running for President in 2008? If there's anyone who can bring some fiscal sanity to DC, it's this guy. There already is a Draft Sanford for President 2008: http://draftsanford.cjb.net/
Tucker:
I traveled through South Carolina with Mark Sanford in 2000 when I covered the McCain campaign. (Sanford was a member of Congress at the time, one of the few to endorse McCain.) He struck me then, as he strikes me now, as one of the most impressive people I've met in politics. I have no idea if he could win the nomination, but I think he'd be a terrific president.
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