Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

One Slim Win After Another for Bush (Bolton)
LAT via Yahoo News ^ | May 13, 2005 | Ronald Brownstein

Posted on 05/13/2005 9:54:13 PM PDT by FairOpinion

All the polarizing political dynamics of George W. Bush's presidency condensed into a single illuminating episode Thursday, as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to advance the nomination of John R. Bolton.

Like so many of Bush's initiatives, the nomination of the blustery Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations energized conservatives, outraged Democrats and squeezed moderates in both parties.

And, as he has many times before, Bush won the legislative fight by the narrowest of margins — maintaining just enough support from Ohio Sen. George V. Voinovich (news, bio, voting record) and other committee Republicans critical of Bolton to overcome uniform Democratic opposition and move the nomination to the Senate floor on a party-line vote.

The vote demonstrated again Bush's willingness to live on the political edge — to accept achingly narrow margins in Congress and at the ballot box to pursue ambitious changes that sharply divide the country.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bolton; bush43; term2
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last
The Dems are squealing, because Bush keeps winning and pushing through his agenda.
1 posted on 05/13/2005 9:54:13 PM PDT by FairOpinion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: FairOpinion

They act so surprised...as if the 3 income tax cuts, ban on partial birth abortion, Ashcroft, Gonzales, Bolton, Rice, Wolfowicz to the IMF, re-election, national missile defense, drilling for oil in the Alaskan ANWR, and every other Bush victory was somehow a fluke.

Which is to say, it pleases me to see that most liberals still don't get it.

2 posted on 05/13/2005 9:59:00 PM PDT by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FairOpinion
"But the vote also reflected the Republican lawmakers' reluctance to impede the agenda of a president whose approval rating among GOP voters has consistently stood about 90%. And Bush's ability to discourage defection has been strengthened by Republican gains in the House and Senate in the 2002 and '04 elections."

The first hint of the blind beginning to see...

3 posted on 05/13/2005 10:04:42 PM PDT by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Southack

Well, some are starting to see, unfortunately Voinovich is not one of them...


4 posted on 05/13/2005 10:07:52 PM PDT by FairOpinion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Southack
Well said:

They act so surprised...as if the 3 income tax cuts, ban on partial birth abortion, Ashcroft, Gonzales, Bolton, Rice, Wolfowicz to the IMF, re-election, national missile defense, drilling for oil in the Alaskan ANWR, and every other Bush victory was somehow a fluke.

5 posted on 05/13/2005 10:12:31 PM PDT by GOPJ (Liberals haven't had a new idea in 40 years.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Southack
president whose approval rating among GOP voters has consistently stood about 90%.

This was my favorite part. Especially after reading this...

to accept achingly narrow margins in Congress and at the ballot box...

GRrrrrr

6 posted on 05/13/2005 10:17:36 PM PDT by Just A Nobody
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Southack

I sure do like your laundry list of Dubya Wins. Very nice.


7 posted on 05/13/2005 10:17:41 PM PDT by dc-zoo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: dc-zoo
"I sure do like your laundry list of Dubya Wins. Very nice."

Ha! I gave you the condensed version the first time above. His full record is MOST impressive:

Presidency of George W. Bush -- the first 48 months

 


President Bush signing a federal ban on Partial Birth Abortion

Banned Partial Birth Abortion

Reversed Clinton's move to strike Reagan's anti-abortion Mexico Policy

Stopped foreign aid that would be used to fund abortions.

Supported and upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals

Signed E.O. reversing Clinton's policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act

Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty

Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court

Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California

Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules that would have shut down every home business in America


First Missile is Installed For NMD on July 23, 2004

Killed the U.S. - CCCP ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses


Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the first ten ABM silos in Alaska and California so that America has a defense against North Korean nukes

The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act (less romantically known as H.R. 5382) ultimately allows average Americans to hitch a ride on a civilian space craft at their own risk. The federal ban on such citizen travel was repealed by HR 5382 in 2004. The President signed that bill into law two days before Christmas.

President Bush pledged to Israel on 4/14/2004 that it could keep parts of the West Bank, giving international legitimacy to Jewish settlements there

Denied Palestinian refugees any right of return to what is now Israel, saying they should be resettled in a future Palestinian state instead

Part of coalition (Russia, Israel, EU, Palestine, USA) for Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace"

Pushed through THREE raises for our military

Increased Defense Dept funding which had deteriorated during the previous 8 years

President Bush's Grand Strategy (click here)

President Bush's Environmental Record - 2004 (click here)

Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit

Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers

Ordered Attorney-General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, NOT a leftist-imagined *collective* right


Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control (i.e. the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty)

Signed the 2004 Omnibus Budget 1/26/2004 that now MANDATES that gun buyers' background check information be fully and permanently destroyed within 24 hours of the completion of the check, no matter what.

Repealed Gun Controls Against Active, Retired, and Off-Duty Law Enforcement Personnel Carrying Weapons Into Local and State Prohibited Zones (7/28/2004)

Enacted powerful tort reform legislation that moves many class action lawsuits from state to federal courts. Requires federal courts to hear cases where the amount of the dispute is more than $5 million, and when the defendant and any of the plaintiffs live in different states.


Disarmed Libya of its Chemical, Nuclear, and biological WMD's without bribes or bloodshed

Won an agreement that U.S. Navy sailors may now freely board thousands of commercial ships in international waters to search for weapons of mass destruction under a landmark pact between the United States and Liberia, the world's No. 2 shipping registry (signed Feb 11, 2004), and Panama 5/10/2004 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/11/international/americas/11ship.html).

Approves The First U.S. Counter-Intel Plan

Successfully executed 2 wars and rebuilt 2 nations: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50+ million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom...epitomized by their own free and democratic elections.

Provided Billions in aid, machines, and manpower to tsunami victims.

 

Executed a WAR ON TERROR by getting world-wide cooperation to track funds/terrorists (has cut off much of the terrorist's funding and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network)

Bush Administration diplomacy led to the 5/25/2004 peace accord that ended a massive 20-year civil war between Sudan's Islamic north and Christian south after two million deaths Click Here

  Delivered vital emergency aid to millions of survivors on multiple continents (e.g. Africa, SE Asia) of a devastating Tsunami caused by a 9.1 earthwuake near Sumatra.

Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed

Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ.

Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia

Initiated comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE was critical.
Created NATO's Rapid Response Force

Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the Presidency

Reorganized bureaucracy...after 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency: the Department of Homeland Security.

Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts.

Improving govt. efficiency with .8 million jobs put up for bid...weakening unions and cutting undeserved pay raises. Wants merit based promotions/raises only.

Orchestrated Republican control of the White House, the House AND the Senate.

Killed the liberal ABA's role in vetting federal judges for Congress.

GWB signed an executive order enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision (re: union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes)

Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession.

Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals.

Signed 2 income tax cuts ---- 1 of which was the largest Dollar-value tax cut in world history

Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains

In process of eliminating IRS marriage penalty.

Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people

Eliminated the Estate Tax (AKA "Death Tax") that was taking small farms and businesses from families


Signed into law the No Child Left Behind legislation delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations)

Reorganized the INS in an attempt to safeguard the borders and ports of America and to eliminate bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability.

Signed trade promotion authority

Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men and women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa

Passed Medicare Reform (authorized $39.5 Billion per year for preventive medicine such as drugs and doctor visits as well as included a ten year Privatization option)

Urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits

Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims


Submitted comprehensive Energy Plan--awaits Congressional action (works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc.)

Endorses and promotes The Responsibility Era ("In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else -- to one in which every single American understands that he or she are responsible for the decisions that you make; you're responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you're responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you're responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you're responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself. " -----this quote was too good to leave out)

Started the USA Freedom Corps

Initiated review of all federal agencies with a goal to eliminate federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of federal gov while increasing private sector jobs.

Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become The League of Nations ( in other words, completely irrelevant)

Nominated strong, conservative judges to the judiciary.


President Bush opened up an additional part of Alaska for domestic oil drilling. In 2004, the National Petroleum Reserve, an area west of the existing Prudhoe Bay field, was approved for new energy exploration and production.

Increased U.S. Oil Drilling Permits 70% Above Clinton-era

Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary clean-up of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger.

As part of the national forests clean-up, the President restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges) and removed the need for an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger.
New Forest Rules Gives States Power Over Federal Forests Inside Their Borders
Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.

President Bush signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal Aliens
S. 1685, the Basic Pilot Extension Act of 2003, was signed by President Bush on December 3, 2003.
It extends for five years the workplace employment eligibility authorization pilot programs created in 1996. It expands the pilot programs from the original five states to all 50 states.


U.S. Forces In Baghdad

8 posted on 05/13/2005 10:23:51 PM PDT by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Southack

Very nice. I was beginning to waver in my support of our President (due to illegal aliens), but this helps to firm up my resolve. We all should copy and email this to everyone we know.


9 posted on 05/13/2005 10:35:52 PM PDT by FreeAtlanta (never surrender, this is for the kids)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Southack

Wow.. thanks for the refresher. How soon we forget.


10 posted on 05/13/2005 10:49:17 PM PDT by dc-zoo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: FairOpinion
The vote demonstrated again Bush's willingness to live on the political edge — to accept achingly narrow margins in Congress and at the ballot box to pursue ambitious changes that sharply divide the country.

Ronald, de-ahh, were you a whining eunuch from birth or did you train up for it?

11 posted on 05/13/2005 10:51:29 PM PDT by King Prout (blast and char it among fetid buzzard guts!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: King Prout

Brownstain.


12 posted on 05/14/2005 12:23:39 AM PDT by karnage
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: FairOpinion
One Slim Win After Another for Bush

One slim loss after another for the rats. I like slim wins. Why waste energy with crushing defeats when a slim win is the same as a solid win.

In 1984 Reagan won a stunning 49 state win with 59 percent of the vote and 525 electoral votes, but he lost the majority in the Senate. In 2004 Dubya won an electoral squeaker with little over 50% of the vote, but added seats in the Senate.

Reagan's huge win did nothing to convince rats or the media that Reagan had a mandate. Big wins do nothing to pass Republican legislation. Small consecutive wins add up.

13 posted on 05/14/2005 1:19:58 AM PDT by Once-Ler ("They call me 'The Pork King,' they don't know how much I enjoy it." - Sen. Robert Byrd)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Justanobody
to accept achingly narrow margins in Congress and at the ballot box...

GRrrrrr

Lioke they say in baseball; no matter what the score is, a "W" is a "W".

14 posted on 05/14/2005 1:38:22 AM PDT by bad company ("A word to the wise ain't necessary -- it's the stupid ones that need the advice.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Southack

This list would make a nice full-page open letter to Reid. This jerk makes Tom D look good.


15 posted on 05/14/2005 2:17:49 AM PDT by PROUDAMREP
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: FairOpinion

Hey ronnie the goal is 50% plus 1. I guess you rats forgot that.


16 posted on 05/14/2005 4:37:56 AM PDT by jmaroneps37 (Dealing with liberals? Remember: when you wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty and he loves it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bad company
a "W" is a "W".

Ohhh, I like it!! BTW - love your tagline.

17 posted on 05/14/2005 5:02:39 AM PDT by Just A Nobody
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: FairOpinion
Strikingly, Voinovich not only criticized Bolton's combative personal behavior but made a philosophical case against the appointment. "I'm afraid that his confirmation will tell the world that we're not dedicated to repairing our relationships or working as a team, but that we believe only someone with sharp elbows can deal properly with the international community," Voinovich said.

This quote from Voinovich shows what the real basis of the opposition to Boulton is: the DemonRats, State Department hired help, and some RINOS want to keep on with an appeasing foreign policy, while bush wants a pro-American foreign pollicy that will advance America's interests.

18 posted on 05/14/2005 5:05:42 AM PDT by libstripper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Justanobody

The tagline is a Bill Cosby line. I've been waiting a while to use the "w" line. Thanks for the setup.


19 posted on 05/14/2005 5:07:43 AM PDT by bad company ("A word to the wise ain't necessary -- it's the stupid ones that need the advice.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Southack

I've repeatedly seen this Saddam picture here on FR. Does anybody have a source for it and does anybody have a translation of the Arabic writing on the poster? A translation of the Arabic might help us to see how deeply inovlved Sadddam was in 9/11. The poster makes him look like the godfather of 9/11.


20 posted on 05/14/2005 5:10:58 AM PDT by libstripper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson