Not a Very Good Year

Opinion Journal ^ | October 25, 2005 | Brendan Miniter

[Molly Pitcher]

Regardless of whether Harriet Miers reaches the Supreme Court, Karl Rove gets indicted, or Tom DeLay and Bill Frist survive their legal troubles, one thing is becoming disappointingly clear: The first year of President Bush's second term has largely been a bust for conservatives.

[paudio]

I remember when Queen Elizabeth II said annus horibilis.

[Molly Pitcher]

In this column, Miniter is skilled at balancing the various aspects of the situation the Pres. finds himself in at this point in his second term.

The President chose to be ambitious with both his foreign policy and domestic agenda. I salute that, and say "Stay the Course!"

[Molly Pitcher]

HA! Not a bad analogy.

[syriacus]

No mention of Katrina?

[CBart95]

Watch this little ploy backfire on his enemies.
With only hatred in their arsenal, this will playout like a Peter Sellers comic farce.

[conservativecorner]

Where can I buy the rose colored glasses you seem to be wearing? He's been anything but bold in his actions since starting his second term.

On foreign policy, we are back to blaming Israel for all things while the murdering PA continues to kill unabated. What happened to the, "you are with us or against us" stuff after 9/11? Someone needs to tell Sec. Rice she's not working in the Bush 41 Administration. We continue to allow Iran to develop it's nuclear weapons program while ceding this issue to countries in the EU. We may also want to dust off the paperwork of the 1994 debacle...I mean agreement with N. Korea because we seem to be headed down that same road.

Domestically he has gone nowhere. His SS plan is DOA,prescription drug plan we can't afford, and out of control spending that should of slowed down as we moved away from 9/11. The Meirs pick is insane, and was pushed by Andy Card who also played a role in the Souter selection when he worked for Bush 41.

This is an Administration that needs to go back to the basics with it's base. We all know where conservatives stand both fiscally and socially, and this President has lately not cared what those core beliefs are.

[CommieCutter]

It's only bad because the MSM, and their RAT partners in crime did everything they could, and continue to do so that this will be a bad year.
Sure some things Bush could've done better but w/e.

[SittinYonder]

This is an Administration that needs to go back to the basics with it's base.

Amen. Small government conservatives (and lately it seems you've got to make that distinction) have been ignored. The Coburn Amendment vote shows the truth of what's happening with Republicans in Washington DC.

We're back to voting for Republicans not because of what they offer but because they're the lesser of two evils.

[Texas4ever]

Been thinking about it.....Yep it hasn't been that good but,

Harriet Meirs will probably not be confirmed, so in steps the "Right Choice" and celebrated by conservatives and BUMP for the President...

Cheney, Libby, Rove... gone, maybe. Lets say they go for the big fish Cheney, ok, gone..... in steps Condi Rice..people love her, ready for 2008. Bump for Pres and Bump for Conservatives.

Should any of this not play out... Bad for Dems, Good for President Bush, so either way President looks pretty darn good.......la la la la

Ugliness never works, thats why Bush always comes out smelling like a rose.

[mosquitobite]

I don't want Rice if she's going to be another "compassionate conservative". So is this supposed to get us excited about all this bad news?

Do you know where she stands on the issues, or is she another "stealth"?

We need a high visibility, well liked, CONSERVATIVE in 2008. Someone like Reagan who can use the bully pulpit and get the general public behind him INSPITE of the MSM's blatherings. Someone like Mark Sanford - now we just have to convince him to run! LOL!

[oldironsides]

I just read that Lewis Libby was Marc Rich's lawyer. My view on Libby and others is changing fast

[SmoothTalker]

Second terms often are wrought with trouble. I'm very frustrated with some issues, but Bush is still a better than average president.

[uncbob]

Ugliness never works, thats why Bush always comes out smelling like a rose.

Tell that to Nixon