Posted on 05/05/2005 9:13:01 AM PDT by metalmanx2j
A lot of thoughtful conservatives are having serious second thoughts about George W. Bush. His failure to act upon core values of fiscal conservatism and sovereignty is a growing concern.
Donations to conservative organizations and think tanks are in sharp decline. A lot of conservatives have decided to stop giving financial support because they are losing faith in the ability of these groups to have any effect on administration policies.
Bush has an engaging personality, but he’s not running for office anymore. He is already a very lame duck.
In concert with Republican party leaders in Congress, the White House has been unable to get its judicial appointments approved and the fight over John Bolton’s appointment as UN ambassador suggests the party lacks unity on Capitol Hill. Bolton has been confirmed four times for previous positions. Unless the GOP can unite to overcome the obstructionism of the Democrats, it bodes ill for the party.
If conservatives stay home for the 2006 elections, power can shift to the Democrats.
People are increasingly worried about the huge budget deficit created by a President and a Congress that have been on a spending binge. The national debt has increased by $2.16 billion every day since September 30, 2004. It is now a cliché that Bush has not vetoed a single spending bill while in office. New “entitlements” added to Medicare for prescriptions will add still more to the rising tide of national debt. It is not “if” the economy will reach a tipping point this accumulated debt cannot be paid, but when.
Compounding fears is the appearance of an increasingly shaky economy that includes rising inflation and major corporations like General Motors in trouble. Wall Street is experiencing early tremors that forecast a bear market.
An issue reaching critical mass are the illegal immigrants flowing across our southern border. The assertion that they are necessary to do the work that Americans will not is nonsense. With the exception of the agricultural sector that has always depended on migrant workers, there are many jobs American workers would take if they weren’t already being given to undocumented workers paid in cash. Illegal workers sent $20 billion dollars home to Mexico last year!
History will record that George W. Bush secured the liberation of the Iraqi people from one of the worst tyrants of modern times. Let us give him credit for that and for driving the Taliban out of Afghanistan. What rankles was the way the war was sold as an eminent threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction. I cannot think of a time this nation went to war on such poor intelligence. One gets the feeling, however, that the Bush administration has little faith in the intelligence of the American people.
Yet another distinctly un-conservative aspect of the Bush administration has been its approach to education. The “Leave No Child Behind” program has thrown billions at an already failed educational system. It is so awful that whole states are considering withdrawing from it. And the Bush administration is pushing for programs that would require all students to undergo mental health evaluations, thus opening the door to still more millions of them being required to take mind-altering drugs.
Many conservatives fear that homeland security is an excuse for circumscribing fundamental constitutional protections. Most certainly, the Patriot Act needs revision, but the administration does not support that. There is talk of installing chips in passports that will carry all kinds of personal information about you. More insidious is the effort to require Americans to carry a national ID card. This is more consistent with a police state than with conservative values.
As Americans confront rising gasoline prices, they are wondering if we have an energy policy. There’s scant evidence. It’s nice to know Alaska’s ANWR may be opened up to oil extraction, but this nation hasn’t seen a new refinery built since the 1970’s, down from 321 refineries in 1981 to 146 now. Current refineries are running at 95% capacity and, thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency, they have to produce 45 “regional blends” of gasoline. It will be years before any oil starts to flow from ANWR. Meanwhile, other reserves of oil and coal are ruled off-limits to extraction and use.
Finally, under the Bush administration, the federal government remains hell bent on acquiring more and more of the nation’s landmass. It’s in cahoots with environmental organizations, offering them millions in federal funds, to assist in this travesty. There’s even an “Invasive Species” bill floating around that would put the EPA in control of your front lawn. Why isn’t the Bush administration out front on killing this monstrosity?
Does any of this sound like conservative policy to you? Does it worry you that the threat of terrorism is the sole reason given for almost any policy put forth by the White House since 9-11? If the Democrats ever get their act together, you and I are going to be talking about President Clinton, but referring to Hillary.
Yeah, there are a bunch of ornery cusses in that class. And we've been through a few cycles on FR. This is the time when we should be whaling away at the issues, prior to the 2006 elections.
That's her evening wear... right now, she's probably in leopard-skin tights and heels... waiting for Dr. Phil to come on.
I was just looking for a blonde troll. Who knew I'd find a blonde, two-faced troll? 8>)
You know I'm as big of a Bush and GOP supporter as many. But I can't see how my life is all that different (to the good) since we got back the White House and the Senate.
Some conservative issues:
1. Protect the borders. (Almost nothing done).
2. The unborn (Nothing done).
3. Education (Ted Kennedy's dream bill cloned by W.).
4. Murder by judge (GOP President and GOP Congress do nothing effective for Terry S., who was allegedly put in that state by her husband).
5. Dignity of the presidency (Laura does a Joan Rivers routine, preceded by the twins doing lame humor at the convention).
6. Let Clinton die in peace and completely ignored. (Bush Sr. travels with the only impeaced president since Johnson, giving credibility to our priappic former Commander in Chief).
7. Supporting conservative nominees for all jobs (Powell a self-serving disaster, then a saboteur of Bush's nominee Bolton; lukeware support for Bolton; tepid promotion of judges who have a right to be voted upon, etc)
8. Medicare reform (Bush does nothing to reform it, then adds prescriptions to a bankrupt system.)
Bush deservers credit for tax reduction and establishing democracy in two oppressive Islamic states, plus getting additional cooperation in the region. Bush needs to emulate Reagan (consistent conservatism), not his father or Richard Nixon.
We'll be told about the glories of One Hemisphere/Free Trade Zone/No Borders once it's a fait accompli (any day now). Then everyone else in this hemisphere will arrive -- they're on their way as I type -- and we can move out.
bttt
NCLB? Not conservative.
Drugs for geezers? Not conservative.
Massive and unprecendented expansion of government power, spending, and scope? As far from conservative as you can get.
Leaving our borders wide open and encouraging illegal immigration? Not conservative.
Not using his veto pen a single time? Not conservative.
I could go on and on and on.
"I was just looking for a blonde troll. Who knew I'd find a blonde, two-faced troll? 8>)"
Uffda! I did that search too, but you beat me to it. Some other photos there, though, that wouldn't pass muster here.
Q: What do you call a brunette between two blondes?
A: An interpreter.
Caruba's faux surprise at the President's policies is weak. George W. Bush has always been pretty transparent about his beliefs and priorities. If they don't correspond with Caruba's priorities, well then he should support someone with whom he does agree. There were plenty of indications in President Bush's first campaign that not all of his ideas were thoroughly conservative, e.g. "no child left behind," willingness to sign "campaign finance reform," etc. What conservatives (and all other citizens) have to do is decide in a political campaign what course of action best serves your beliefs and interests. Being "shocked" by actions which were apparent in advanced is a very poor argumentation. Undercutting what remains our best hope for the future (especially, in the naming of appellate and Supreme Court justices) is counter-productive
The lively discussion on FreeRepublic is quite wonderful. I love Bush on many issues, but controlling spending (Reps in Congress take most of the blame) and immigration are serious issues that often have his supporters here venting and that is a healthy thing. There is no doubt the Rep party is in trouble because much of the leadership is drifting leftward. Many of those who criticize Bush absolutely despise the left and the demoRats. I just think we have to understand and not take too seriously all the rantings. I hope and pray that this site and others can inspire enough people on the right to help turn the tide towards Liberty and away for knelling at the alter of government. I will never blindly follow anyone in government. They must always be questioned and watched. Our Founders knew quite well the nature of government and most Freepers, I believe, have that spirit of Liberty and respect for individual rights.
Maybe the worst result of the Bush administration is that it has turned conservatives, such as many at freerepublic, into defenders of liberal policies (such as big federal education dictates, massive medicare expansion, patriot act intrusiveness, mind-boggling deficits, open borders, anti-free-speech campaign finance "reform) -- policies that everbody on freerepublic would be denouncing if this stuff was being done by Clinton.
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