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Bush: unpopular and oh, so powerful
Charleston [WVA] Daily Mail ^ | November 3, 2005 | Don Surber

Posted on 11/05/2005 10:59:25 PM PST by SmithL

Wednesday marked the first anniversary of George Bush's historic presidential victory. He received more votes than any president in history.

The president is low in the polls but high in power, the opposite of his predecessor.

I disagree with many of Bush's actions. What was he thinking when he expanded Medicare to cover drugs?

But he is getting the job done. The Reagan Revolution continues.

Bush appointed as chief justice John Roberts, who cut his legal teeth in the Reagan White House.

Another Reagan White House lawyer, Sam Alito, soon will join him. According to Michael Barone of U.S. News & World Report, Democrats lack the votes to filibuster, which is the only way to stop this appointment.

Cross another item off the honey-do list.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid paid homage to Bush's power on Tuesday by throwing a hissy fit.

He shut down the Senate for a couple of hours because he didn't get his way on investigating the Bush administration's use of intelligence before the Iraq war. Anything that slows Congress from passing more laws that deprive us of our liberties is OK by me.

But Reid is just mad because the Plame investigation flamed out.

After two years of investigation, Reid got nothing. Democratic dreams of Karl Rove being frog-marched and perp-walked out of the White House evaporated. They wanted a Harley, they got a Scooter Libby.

Maybe, just maybe, this administration is a lot cleaner than its critics say it is.

The charges against Libby are serious, and if guilty, he should serve a stretch in prison. Li'l Kim is spending a year in prison for perjury. She is some singer who is most notable for not wearing much clothing.

Rove remains standing. In regicide, you must kill the king or fall upon one's sword. In their botched attempt at Rovicide, Democrats threw a tantrum.

I am no fan of Bob Byrd, but he led Senate Democrats well. When he pushed the rules, bills became laws.

Reid? He's Miss Prissy in the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons. Democrats need a real man for the job: Hillary Clinton.

Her husband, Bill Clinton, was extremely popular.

But his personal popularity did not translate into political power. He could not get a health care plan through a Democratic Congress.

That led to a Republican Congress, which forced upon him welfare reform and a balanced budget.

And when Newt Gingrich attempted Billicide and failed, away went Newt.

Bush's father was very well liked, and dumped after one term.

This Bush is the least popular president since Jimmy Carter. My mother simply cannot stand this Bush.

But he continues to roll. The agenda that got him to the White House by the thinnest of margins -- 593 votes in Florida -- is being completed.

Education reform, tax relief, the energy bill -- the list of accomplishments rivals Reagan's, even if some of it belongs with Lyndon Johnson.

Unpopularity has its rewards. With half of the country automatically opposed, Bush must tend to the 62 million people who elected him.

Last week, enough of them wanted him to dump Harriet Miers. He did.

He wound up with Alito, a far better choice from what I have seen of his decisions.

Power is transient. So is popularity. A couple of other presidents weren't very popular.

But Abe Lincoln and Harry Truman did all right.

So will this Bush.


TOPICS: Editorial; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: presidentbush; term2
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1 posted on 11/05/2005 10:59:26 PM PST by SmithL
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To: SmithL
Good article.

"Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid paid homage to Bush's power on Tuesday by throwing a hissy fit." LOL!

2 posted on 11/05/2005 11:19:58 PM PST by smoothsailing (QuiNhon Turtle)
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To: SmithL
Bush, powerful? I don't think so. He cowers to Congress. The senate scares him to death. Vicente Fox has a tight grip on him. He's becoming a Clinton enabler. The war and Bolton are the only thing he has going for him but he's still about 3/4 of a spine away from being the president he should have been in the first place.
3 posted on 11/05/2005 11:22:03 PM PST by PositiveCogins
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To: SmithL

also the pressp lays a game of tearing people down followed by building people up ...Bush ascendancy is next on the agenda


4 posted on 11/05/2005 11:23:37 PM PST by woofie
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To: PositiveCogins

out to lunch?


5 posted on 11/05/2005 11:24:50 PM PST by woofie
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To: PositiveCogins
Bush, powerful? I don't think so. He cowers to Congress. The senate scares him to death. Vicente Fox has a tight grip on him.

When reality passes you by, at least wave at it.

6 posted on 11/05/2005 11:31:38 PM PST by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done needs to be done by the government.)
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To: Mind-numbed Robot

LOL


7 posted on 11/05/2005 11:36:28 PM PST by paudio (Four More Years..... Let's Use Them Wisely...)
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To: PositiveCogins
?
8 posted on 11/05/2005 11:39:37 PM PST by smoothsailing
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To: Mind-numbed Robot

"When reality passes you by, at least wave at it."

Bush wouldn't know reality if it ran over him.


9 posted on 11/05/2005 11:42:18 PM PST by PositiveCogins
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To: PositiveCogins

President Bush seems to be the only one fighting terrorism. That reality has not passed him by.


10 posted on 11/05/2005 11:48:25 PM PST by Brimack34
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To: PositiveCogins

You work with lead paint, don't you?


11 posted on 11/06/2005 12:06:06 AM PST by KingKongCobra (The "Donner Party" can just go eat themselves)
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To: Brimack34
John Roberts left me skeptical until he tore the Dems up in the senate hearings. Bolton was a great move and has been totally worth his appointment. 3000 people were killed on 911 and someone had to get their butts kicked for that one.
And if he stands up to the senate on Alito the tide may turn.

But until he quits covering for Clinton, does something about immigration, national debt, the trade deficit, our trading status with our enemy China and government spending
he will remain unpopular and powerless.
12 posted on 11/06/2005 12:06:49 AM PST by PositiveCogins
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To: KingKongCobra

"You work with lead paint, don't you?"

No. Why do you ask?


13 posted on 11/06/2005 12:08:36 AM PST by PositiveCogins
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To: SmithL

bttt


14 posted on 11/06/2005 12:10:43 AM PST by nopardons
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To: PositiveCogins

Implication over your head?


15 posted on 11/06/2005 12:12:52 AM PST by KingKongCobra (The "Donner Party" can just go eat themselves)
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To: smoothsailing
"Good article."

Great article!

16 posted on 11/06/2005 12:15:52 AM PST by de Buillion (Perspective: 2000 dead Heroes in 3 +yr vs. 3589 abortions EVERY DAY , 1999, USA.)
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To: KingKongCobra
Implication over your head?

No, not really. You've been here a while and I've read some of your posts. I know you can do better than lead paint.
17 posted on 11/06/2005 12:17:54 AM PST by PositiveCogins
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To: PositiveCogins
What you say may be true.

But President Bush is only transitory.

Alito is permanent with a longer term impact.

I will tolerate his "compassionate conservatism" in gratitude for his court picks and hope he sees the error of his ways before the end of his term regarding many of the areas you mentioned.

I suspected he had a social liberal streak in him when I voted for him but I also believed he would pick solid judges. It was critical that Kerry not be in the Oval Office to make these picks and many conservatives put social ideology behind SC picks in making their decision. And no matter how weakly you may think he is doing it, the fact remains that he is the first President with the stones to confront radical Islam. Something Reagan should have done when they killed 300 of our finest Marines in Beirut, or Clinton the first time they bombed the WTC.

So I give Bush a B...minus.

18 posted on 11/06/2005 12:39:22 AM PST by KDD (A wink is as good as a nod to a blind horse.)
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To: SmithL

President Bush's "unpopularity" is a MSM-concoction. He is unpopular among Americans who did not vote for him anyway, but still popular among those who did vote for him.


19 posted on 11/06/2005 1:02:37 AM PST by citizencon
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To: SmithL

People who get most all their "news" from the "main stream media" (even many Republicans) don't like him and those who think and read beyond that seem to appreciate him and his sincerity and determination more. His popularity is probably at least 50% in reality. Some (including many who voted for him) hate him because he isn't a good speaker, which seems foolish and narrow...Thank of all the Presidents that few ever heard speak. Most all prior to FDR were known only by their policies by the majority. Some times I wish it could still be that way. It would give us a clearer perspective and we would never have had Clinton.


20 posted on 11/06/2005 3:32:54 AM PST by BonnieJ
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