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Bush Aims To Forge A GOP Legacy
Washington Post ^ | 1/30/5 | Thomas B. Edsall and John F. Harris

Posted on 01/29/2005 10:09:32 PM PST by SmithL

When President Bush stands before Congress on Wednesday night to deliver his State of the Union address, it is a safe bet that he will not announce that one of his goals is the long-term enfeeblement of the Democratic Party.

But a recurring theme of many items on Bush's second-term domestic agenda is that if enacted, they would weaken political and financial pillars that have propped up Democrats for years, political strategists from both parties say.

Legislation putting caps on civil damage awards, for instance, would choke income to trial lawyers, among the most generous contributors to the Democratic Party.

GOP strategists, likewise, hope that the proposed changes to Social Security can transform a program that has long been identified with the Democrats, creating a generation of new investors who see their interests allied with the Republicans.

Less visible policies also have sharp political overtones. The administration's transformation of civil service rules at federal agencies, for instance, would limit the power and membership of public employee unions -- an important Democratic financial artery.

If the Bush agenda is enacted, "there will be a continued growth in the percentage of Americans who consider themselves Republican, both in terms of self-identified party ID and in terms of their [economic] interests," said Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform and an operative who speaks regularly with White House senior adviser Karl Rove.

Many Democrats and independent analysts see a methodical strategy at work. They believe the White House has expressly tailored its domestic agenda to maximize hazards for Democrats and tilt the political playing field in the GOP's favor long after this president is out of the White House.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bananarepublic; bush43; gop; republicanmajority; sotu; term2; w2
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To: RFT1
I stand by what I say, sorry if I tell it like it is.

When you elicit a classic, nonsense sinkspur reply like that you know you've hit the nail square on the head! ;o)

101 posted on 01/31/2005 6:07:08 AM PST by iconoclast (Conservative, not partisan.)
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Comment #102 Removed by Moderator

To: Common Tator
Karl Rove and George Bush hope to move the government to where a majority of the voters now are.

An incredible statement if you think about it. Are you familiar with the concept of selling out?

What do you call this "brave new" philosophy, "Followership", Pyrrhic politics?

Don't bother to answer. I know very well what your thinking is ... in the words of that deep thinking philosopher, Al Davis, "Just win, baby!"

103 posted on 01/31/2005 6:42:52 AM PST by iconoclast (Conservative, not partisan.)
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To: iconoclast

Reagan used our capacity to spend to win the Cold War. I'm glad that he did it so effectively and in a virtually bloodless fashion. In my mind domestic liberalism is as insidious as global communism (the former is a subset of the latter). I'm willing to use the power of the American purse to extirpate the enemy within. Once that's done we can easily put the country back on track.


104 posted on 01/31/2005 7:41:01 AM PST by PeoplesRepublicOfWashington (Re-elect Rossi in 2005!)
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To: fallujah-nuker

So lets re-cap --- you're glad that Perot kept Bush from beating Clinton, because Bush's loss led to the House becoming Republican, which lead to welfare reform and a ( so-called) balanced budget for two years....

...which are basically the only things that Clinton can point to as part of his great legacy !


105 posted on 01/31/2005 7:45:15 AM PST by RS (They'll get my warped sense of humor when they pry it out of my cold, dead neurons...)
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To: iconoclast

Did you read the Henry Lamb article that said Condaleesa Rice is in favor of the LOST treaty with the U.N. Bush is
Not Conservative about retaining National Soverignity either.


106 posted on 01/31/2005 7:51:41 AM PST by antisocial (Texas SCV - Deo Vindice)
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To: bayourod

" You've been spending too much time on FR."

On the contrary, I can't stomach the mindless GOP backers here any longer.

There is too little independent though among FReepers, and too much bandwagon jumping by the self-righteous majority.

I have neither the time nor the inclination to bash heads with people who refuse to consider alternative points of view with an open mind.

Most here want nothing more than "Bush/GOP = good, Kerry/RATS = bad". Okay, no problem.

I don't think George Bush has some big scheme to eliminate the Democrat party, nor do I think that we would be better off with a one party system. Do you?

By the way, you should check out the "Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus" and see just how many House members are on board with Tancredo.
http://www.house.gov/tancredo/Immigration/

(It's a bit more than 1%)


107 posted on 01/31/2005 7:59:59 AM PST by Veritas et equitas ad Votum (If the Constitution "lives and breathes", it dies.)
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To: ninenot
Limbaugh's having problems, personal, legal and now apparently ratings. Immigrants have always been an easy target for sensationalizing.
108 posted on 01/31/2005 10:28:37 AM PST by bayourod (Unless we get over 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2008, President Hillary will take all your guns away.)
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To: Veritas et equitas ad Votum
It's a shame to see you leave after being with us only a short time. Can I have your old taglines?

PS. According to the posting guidelines, an Opus has to be posted as its own separate thread and designated as a vanity. Unless you do some more work on yours I don't think it's going to get very high ratings.

109 posted on 01/31/2005 10:37:32 AM PST by bayourod (Unless we get over 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2008, President Hillary will take all your guns away.)
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To: bayourod

I didn't mean to say I was "quitting" but just that I haven't been spending much time here lately.

Out of curiosity, are you listening to Rush?

He just said exactly what I said in post #2. I suspect many on this thread who disagreed with me then are now agreeing with me, JUST BECAUSE RUSH SAID IT.

BTW- Excuse my ignorance, but what's an "opus"? I didn't mean to break the rule...


110 posted on 01/31/2005 11:38:00 AM PST by Veritas et equitas ad Votum (If the Constitution "lives and breathes", it dies.)
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To: bayourod

Oh yea, did you look at that link to Tancredo's Caucus?

I'd check out these articles also:
http://www.federalobserver.com/archive.php?aid=9276

Although, having gone around the block with you before, I doubt you'll give serious thought to the opinions/facts discussed therein...


111 posted on 01/31/2005 11:41:32 AM PST by Veritas et equitas ad Votum (If the Constitution "lives and breathes", it dies.)
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To: Veritas et equitas ad Votum

marked #111 for later read


112 posted on 01/31/2005 11:49:59 AM PST by bayourod (Unless we get over 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2008, President Hillary will take all your guns away.)
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To: bayourod

"Unless we get over 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2008, President Hillary will take all your guns away."

I thought only Democrats used the tactic of "fear mongering"...


113 posted on 01/31/2005 11:54:30 AM PST by Veritas et equitas ad Votum (If the Constitution "lives and breathes", it dies.)
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To: Veritas et equitas ad Votum
"I thought only Democrats used the tactic of "fear mongering"... "

Should I tone my tagline down a little by substituting another name for Hillary's? How about "Dean", or "Kerry" or "Boxer"?

The really scary fact is that if Richardson is their nominee he will probably get 95% of the Hispanic vote and Republicans will never again sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom.

Please don't tell any Democrats that secret.

114 posted on 01/31/2005 12:10:25 PM PST by bayourod (Unless we get over 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2008, President Hillary will take all your guns away.)
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To: Veritas et equitas ad Votum
"Excuse my ignorance, but what's an "opus"? "

Some Examples:

polite opus

DU opus.

Better Opus

115 posted on 01/31/2005 12:26:49 PM PST by bayourod (Unless we get over 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2008, President Hillary will take all your guns away.)
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To: bayourod; Veritas et equitas ad Votum

... and a really good opus

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113862/


116 posted on 01/31/2005 2:36:24 PM PST by RS (They'll get my warped sense of humor when they pry it out of my cold, dead neurons...)
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To: bayourod

Aha! It's Limbaugh's drug-withdrawals, legal expenses, and ratings drop (?)--not GWB's idiocy, eh?

Right.


117 posted on 01/31/2005 2:42:25 PM PST by ninenot (Minister of Membership, TomasTorquemadaGentlemen'sClub)
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To: ninenot
If you listened close to Rush today he said that the solution to the problems of illegal immigrants was either a guest worker program, amnesty or increasing the number of legal immigrants.

I agree with that. President Bush agrees with that. How about you?

118 posted on 01/31/2005 2:47:05 PM PST by bayourod (Unless we get over 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2008, President Hillary will take all your guns away.)
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To: bayourod

Yes, but that's beside the main point that I made in post 2.

Rush acknowledged the very REAL possibility that a 2008 could be like 92 in that a farther right candidate could split the Bush voters enough to hand the White House to a RAT.

Bottom line, no solution is going to satisfy ME unless step ONE is shutting off the flow of illegals.

I don't care if the ones already here stay or go nearly as much as I care if the ones coming next week or next month make it.

Also, in the "war on terror" world in which we supposedly live, we should be shutting off immigration all together.

BTW-Bayou, did you read those articles?


119 posted on 01/31/2005 4:05:50 PM PST by Veritas et equitas ad Votum (If the Constitution "lives and breathes", it dies.)
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To: Veritas et equitas ad Votum
"step ONE is shutting off the flow of illegals. "

Can't be done as long as the demand still exist in the U.S and poverty still exists in Mexico.

Why not take a test step and get your town council to let the CBP train a few of your police to bust employers of illegals?

If it drives all the illegals out of town maybe other towns would try it.

120 posted on 01/31/2005 4:14:01 PM PST by bayourod (Unless we get over 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2008, President Hillary will take all your guns away.)
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