Posted on 09/23/2005 8:13:00 AM PDT by Reagan Man
(Capitol Hill) CNSNews.com -- He may still be the darling of cultural conservatives, but President Bush's budget decisions have prompted one of his allies in Congress to assert that conservatives have no business comparing Bush to one of the most popular conservative presidents ever - Ronald Reagan.
"Some of us came here (to Washington DC) to reduce the size of government after the model of Ronald Reagan or others who tried to cut out government programs that weren't necessary. Others came here to streamline government or to make it more efficient, or to reflect more traditional values," U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) told Cybercast News Service Wednesday.
"President Bush isn't here to cut the size of government, he's here to perhaps have government more reflect the values of the people," Rohrabacher explained, following a Capitol Hill news conference sponsored by the 110-member Republican Study Committee aimed at promoting federal spending cuts to offset the costs of Hurricane Katrina.
"But at times like this, when we have an emergency where so much money is needed, it is incumbent upon us to cut the spending that is not absolutely necessary, not just make it reflect this value or that value," Rohrabacher added. Congress has already authorized two hurricane relief bills totaling $62.3 billion and some experts estimate that Hurricane Katrina will eventually cost the federal government $200 billion.
Rohrabacher dismissed the Sept. 13 remarks of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), who argued that the federal budget was running at peak efficiency. "Yes, after 11 years of Republican majority, we've pared it down pretty good," DeLay said.
"I am not sure what Tom had in mind, but I know that anybody who can't see that there is still fat in the federal budget probably can't tell the difference between a pig and a race horse," Rohrabacher said.
U.S. Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) also warned about unrestrained federal spending.
"I think the mounting federal debt could someday challenge this country in a way that no military power has ever been successful in doing," Franks told Cybercast News Service.
"In 10-12 years, we are going to be facing kind of a perfect storm, when the baby boomers like [me] who have been a source of great revenue for the country, begin to retire," Franks said.
"Rather than putting into the system, [baby boomers will] begin to take out of it and when the trajectory of some of these social programs that we have are on par now to crowd out all discretionary spending, we are in a situation where just the debt itself could take a third or more of the revenues in 10-12 years," Franks explained.
"That is something we can't sustain," he continued. "Any time a country has done that for any extended period of time, they have gone into economic decline and in many cases complete disaster."
U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) said the proposed hurricane recovery spending plan offers Congress the opportunity "to actually start whittling away at the size of government and our budget" in order to afford those unexpected expenses.
He also disagreed with the notion held by many supply side economists that "deficits don't matter.
"I have been in these arguments with folks who suggest that deficits don't matter, but I have never heard them say that lower deficits aren't better," Tancredo said.
The Colorado Republican proposed selling off 15 percent of federally-owned land to raise revenues to offset the costs of Hurricane Katrina.
Members of the conservative National Taxpayer Union were also on hand with signs reading "Compensate for Katrina, Cut Costs," "Rescue Taxpayers from a flood of red ink" and "Deficit Spending is a Disaster Pending."
Dana also wants to change the Constitution so Arnold could run for President.
The President doesn't have line item veto power. SCOTUS took it away.
Uh what about you addressing Reagan signing off on social security tax increases, instead of proposing real reform as President Bush has done.
I really get tired of you so-called "true conservatives" using Ronald Reagan's great name to make sniping points.
JMO, Ronald Reagan would not approve of your tactics.
Let's start with the phrase, 11th commandment. That was a slogan Reagan didn't create.
Reagan wrote:
"The personal attacks against me during the primary finally became so heavy that the state Republican chairman, Gaylord Parkinson, postulated what he called the Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican. It's a rule I followed during that campaign and have ever since.
This was a rule followed by Reagan. I'm not Ronald Reagan and never professed to being Reagan incarnate either. What about Bush43`s liberal spending habits. You support them?
Ronald Reagan had a Republican Senate from 1980-86.
Spending bills originate in the House, which was so dominated by democrats that the GOP had zero power.
He absolutely is right. One thing is for sure, Bush has reformed the REpublican party into a hybrid party that has incorporated big spending democrats!
Why is it that republicans in congress so quiet about this and not confronting Bush on this?
Between 1980-82 Ronald Reagan had southern democrats on his side to push through his intital historic tax cuts.
The mid-term election of 82 in the House was a blood bath for Republicans, giving more leverage to tip o'neill.
Someething President Bush has avoided so far.
If Ronald Reagan was around today, he would be appalled at the way the feds are spending the taxpayers money. Reagan had 78 vetoes in his day. Bush43 has zero! Reagan vetoed a huge highway spending bill that had less then 200 earmarks. Bush43 just signed off on a highway bill that had over 6,000 earmarks. That is total fiscal irresponsibilty.
Flame away.
And you cannot give the same courtesy to President Bush(I didn't start this thread).
Again JMO, you "true conservatives" are your own worst enemies. You piss off your friends and give political succor to your own so-called enemies(democrats).
The day after 9/11 I told my Daughter than Bush should go on TV, declare a state of national emergency, and wage an all out WWII type war on terrorism/Islam.
He might not have been able to get congress to go along but that is when a president has to lead. We are basically going the Viet Nam way of limited war. It never works.
And for good reason.
Reagan was faced with the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression. Something Bush43 has fortunately has never had to face. The 1981 Economic Recovery Tax Act was comprehensive legislation to get the economy back on track. This is when Reagan had his lowest poll numbers and the mid-term election loses in the House were a by-product of implimenting Reagan's economic plan.
By 1983 the US economy was in recovery mode. Inflation, interests rates and unemployment were all headed down. Consumer spending, investments and savings were on the way up. Reagan went on to another landslide victory in 1984. Bush beat Algore by 534 votes and Kerry by 90K.
Wake up Dane.
In the long term I am afraid you are correct, make the enemy fear you at every level, they are never going to love us. And that includes the MSM and rat lefties.
I repeat, BUSH IS NOT A CONSERVATIVE!
Never was.. But I love that man anyway.
This is about politics in 2005 and the issue is PresBush`s liberal spending habits. I'm not taking cheap shots at the President like you are at Reagan. I support Bush on most issues. On spending, I oppose Bush and the GOP Congress. You're just another Bush cheerleader Dane.
I have been awake for along time of you so-called true conservatives tatics where you use Ronald Reagan( a great man, but not a perfect one) to divide conservatives and give succor to the democrats.
BTW, since you are so obstinate, time for me to add to this to immigrantlist keyword list, to show that Ronald Reagan was the one who signed real amnesty towards illegal immigrants in 1986.
Bush is the most conservative candidate we could have gotten elected.
Please repeat again for those that failed to understand the first and second time!!!
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