Posted on 03/11/2006 8:42:55 AM PST by Small-L
Restless Republicans are already looking beyond the embattled presidency ... to the 2008 campaign.
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The delegates were voting in an informal "straw poll" to test the popularity of White House hopefuls including those in attendance -- Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Sen. George Allen of Virginia, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee.
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Despite controlling the White House and Congress for most of the past five years, many Republicans feel both have fallen short on a number of issues including tax reform, fiscal responsibility, immigration, Social Security and family values.
"A big problem with our base is our spending," said Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, ... "My time at this convention will be spent talking about a Republican Party ...-- a party of controlling the size of government and reforming the government."
"If we don't have a program that reforms taxes and controls spending different from the Democrats, a lot of people will sit out the next election as Republicans," he warned. "We're dangerously close ... to having a deflated base."
Brownback, a favorite of social conservatives, said runaway spending is a problem for Republicans but so is a failure to produce innovative plans on health care, energy, the environment and rebuilding the American family.
...
The restlessness is also fueled by polls. An AP-Ipsos survey shows that just 37 percent of people approve of Bush's performance and a mere 31 percent give the Republican-led Congress high marks.
Underscoring Graham's point about a deflated base, Bush's job approval among Republicans has dropped 8 percentage points to 74 percent since February, the poll showed. More than half of Republicans disapprove of Congress' performance.
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(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
I don't disagree. I use Ron Paul's voting record as a standard by which to compare everyone else. But I think it's out of the question--he's getting too old, doesn't look the part, writes well, but can't speak well, and has loser tattoed across his picture after his run with the LP. That said, he's one of the few in Congress that I respect and trust.
how bout the senator from oklahoma...like coburn...have seen n hear him several times and he seems 2 have the concern for people big time
I don't know much about Sen. Coburn, but I've heard other freepers say good things about him too.
If we have a terrorist attack here in America anytime before 2008. The Republicans will be blamed for sure and it will be over for them the next Presidental Election. I shutter just thinking that.
We could nominate another Ronald Reagan and it wouldn't make any difference with these nitwits in congress. There is NO leadership in the House or Senate.
We have had tax reform, Patriot Act, Medicare Reform, strong economy, more jobs, etc., while fighting the wor on Terror. Under this President he, not only has had to fight the Democrats, Media BUT HIS OWN PARTY to accomplish what he has.
WAKE UP FOLKS AND RECOGNIZE WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!
THE TRUTH IS A BATTLEGROUND NOT A PLAYGROUND.
Don't appologize or think you need to explain your Libertarian vote. I often consider it myself. It's not a wasted vote or a protest vote when you support candidates who support your viewpoint--even if they are long shots. By voting LP, you're one more voice, crying out in the 2-identical-party wilderness that we want change...we want a choice... I can't personnaly agree with their stance on the war on terror, or on the open borders issue, but I understand where they're coming from and how it ties to the basic underlying philosophy--and I agree with that philosophy. Maybe someday, if we keep supporting them and helping the party grow. At the local and state level, I vote for them every chance I get.
Your argument for Bush is weak when he refuses to veto a single bill from an obviously inept Congress. Part of being president is leading, and in my opinion, he hasn't lead Congress. Or if he has, then he's part of the problem rather than part of the solution.
Disagree. No matter what polls say (don't waste your time with any of them) the majority of Americans know Bush and Republicans are the best bet against terror or any military threat.
The President is not elected to be the Leader of Congress. That is where the separation of powers resides. The POTUS DOES NOT enact legislation; spending bills, pass laws and regulations. It is his responsibility to sign or vetosuch Congressional action..
Congress has a way of attaching PORK toALLNECESSARY legislation thereby forcing the POTUS to sign it.
That is why HE , as well as all the other POTUS, NEED THE LINE ITEM VETO.
That would then put both Congress and POTUS in the line of accountability.
Well, good job on it so far.
LOL! Don't forget to take the bag down to the curb Sunday night.
Disagree. He is the leader of the nation, Congress included. The president submits an annual budget from which the spending bills are built. He submitted his plan for tax reductions. He submitted his plan for Social Security reform. Virtually all of the major initiatives in Congress start out as plans or objectives from the WH. Certainly Congress has made a wreck of his initiatives, but I blame Bush as much as Congress--he hasn't provided the fiscal constrain expected of a Republican--in his case restraint=veto. You speak of checks and balances, what has he checked?
Most likely Syria and the Hamas government in "Palestine" problems will still be unresolved in '08. How would Pence fight those final battles in the WOT?
He cut off the state take of gasloline taxes for a month following katrina and made a show of fining gouging gas stations. The biggest thing is keeping the idiot demonrat Barnes, with his crappy state flag, out of a second term.
Curb? ...you meant to say creek...
In the first place, I don't agree Syria and the PA are the "final" battles. They are merely intermediate battles, although important. The Long War will likely extend well past his 8 years in office (2117) - unless we capitulate first or are annihilated by our Islamic enemies.
Precisely "how" he will do it, I don't know. But I do know he will do it better than anybody the Dems will put forward. Why? Because his instincts are sound and he is a patriotic American with the best interests of the country at heart. From what I can see, he is also a leader in the mold of Ronald Reagan. That counts for a lot in my book.
LOL!
Yes I've got a vaction cabin way in the middle of nowhere. We don't get many services up there. We put lots of stuff in the creek.
Would that describe your year-round digs?
Think that'll get Purdue elected again? Barnes may be a bozo, but Purdue is a do-nothing. We have among the worst schools in the nation--what's he done to improve them? We have a horrible waste of humanity working in state offices--what's he done to get rid of them or get them to work?
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