GOP is in 'deep funk' over Bush spending

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/12/6 | Carolyn Lochhead

[SmithL]

Washington -- The Republican rebellion that President Bush smacked into with the Dubai ports deal was the tip of an iceberg of Republican discontent that is much deeper and more dangerous to the White House than a talk radio tempest over Arabs running U.S. ports.

A Republican pushback on Capitol Hill and smoldering conservative dissatisfaction have already killed not just the ports deal but key elements of Bush's domestic agenda, and threaten GOP control of Congress if unhappy conservatives sit out the November midterm elections.

The apostasy in some quarters runs to heretofore unthinkable depths.

"If I had a choice and Bush were running today against (Democratic President) Bill Clinton, I'd vote for Bill Clinton," said Bruce Bartlett, a former Reagan administration Treasury Department official whose book, "Impostor: How George Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy," is making the rounds of conservative think tanks and talk shows. "He was clearly a much better president in a great many ways that matter to me."

Bartlett may lie at the extreme, but his critique taps into a strong undertow -- reflected in a sharp drop in Bush's support among his typically solid Republican base, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Friday.

"Bush's compassionate conservatism has morphed into big government conservatism, and that isn't what the base is looking for," said David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union. "The White House and the congressional leadership have got to reinvigorate the Republican base. In off-year elections ... if your base isn't energized, particularly in a relatively evenly divided electorate, you've got more problems than you think you have."

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Note to moron columnists, rabid Freeper Bush haters, fringe party wack jobs and other bigoted Know Nothings, CONGRESS spends the money. Do you have any clue how stupid you all sound whining about "no Vetos" on bills that passed with MORE THEN ENOUGH VOTES TO OVERRIDE A VETO?

You got it 98.4% (like Limbaugh).

See #29... I agree...

[nightdriver]

Blame on Bush is somewhat misplaced.

He can't spend a nickel (other than some special funds allocated to him) that congress doesn't approve.

[LibLieSlayer]

Yes it would be. Did I say he was perfect? NO! What I said was he was only 1 of 2 dims that deserved praise. I praise him for his stance on the WOT. He is the only sitting dim senator that is on the right side of this issue... the ONLY one!

P.S. I would NEVER vote for him... EVER. Hell, he's a dim for goodness sake!

LLS

[SUSSA]

Rabbinical Court Excommunicates
Senator Lieberman

The New York Torah Court – Beth Din, after careful deliberation, has excommunicated Senator Joseph Lieberman.

The following reasons were given for the excommunication:
Senator Lieberman has caused grave scandal –a chilul Hashem (desecration of G-D's Name)– by the fact that, while claiming to be an observant Jew, Lieberman has been misrepresenting and falsifying to the American people the teachings of the Torah against partial birth infanticide, against special privileges and preferential treatment for flaunting homosexuals, and against intermarriage of Jews.

A spokesman for the rabbinical court, Rabbi Joseph Friedman, stated that Senator Lieberman has also "flagrantly violated our sacred Torah by his Senate votes upholding partial birth infanticide and legitimizing homosexuality, which abnormal and unhealthy behavior the Torah strongly condemns as sinful and immoral. Mr. Lieberman, moreover, has, in violation of Torah, supported harmful gender integration in the U.S. Armed Forces –in the barracks, on naval warships, and in combat training– all of which weakens and demoralizes our Armed Forces."

Rabbi Friedman in addition declared that "under excommunication, or cherem as it is called in Hebrew, the person being excommunicated still remains a Jew. We hope that the senator repents and asks G-D's forgiveness, so that the excommunication may be lifted."

As an historical footnote, there are precedents for rabbinical excommunication of public figures, as well as private individuals. In 1945, Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan was excommunicated for grave violations of Torah. This was at the time reported in the New York Times and other newspapers.

— end —

Is this the Joe Lieberman you say is worthy of praise?

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

That makes two so far...

[LibLieSlayer]

"Thanks for admitting that you stand for party over principle. Sieg Heil!!!"

This statement is delusional.

LLS

[eskimo]

Tell us how you REALLY feel, there, Johnnie. Had you read the thread, you'd have seen that all of your points have been already mentioned, albeit in a somewhat less frantic way.

The administration appologists do seem rather emotional these days. Perhaps that was their nature from the start.

[RFEngineer]

"I'm going to bookmark this post, and in November, if bashing of Bush continues, we will revisit if what you say is the case. "

"Bashing" is not productive. Following conservative principles, especially in areas where GWB has strayed so far from conservative principles, is a recipe for success and should not be defined as "bashing"

Problem is, most republicans won't have the credibility as conservatives by November.

You, and everyone else who unequivocally support everything GWB does, really do understand that conservative principles win politically. You also understand that the present crop of republicans have thin conserative credentials.

Conservatives are conservative. Don't bash us for that - give us something to vote for and we'll vote for it. But if you don't and big-spending republicanism loses in November, don't blame conservatives, blame yourselves for compromising away from what you KNEW would win - conservatism.

[SUSSA]

So you praise people who support killing babies as long as they agree with you on some issue?

[Just A Nobody]

They should have stood up to him 6 yeras ago.

Was that just before or just after he announced his candidacy for President?

[SUSSA]

After

[LibLieSlayer]

Lieberman has SOPPORTED this administration's WOT. That is all that I said. PROVE he has not! I buy into nothing... and especially your POV!

LLS

[raybbr]

....have been already mentioned, albeit in a somewhat less frantic way.

Limited Edition of 2000!
Groundskeeper Willie's bust depicts the spitting mad MNjohnnie as you've never seen him before.

[RFEngineer]

"Republicans are just the opposite of these..."

Success is not defined by what you are not. That is the problem with what appears to be the republican strategy in November 06.

Again, what does it mean to be a "republican"?

[CGTRWK]

Congress have sent every Bush Budget back as much as 1/3 HIGHER then it went up to the Hill.

        Bush's Proposed     Actual enacted    Difference
2002    1,961B              2,011B               +2.5%
2003    2,140B              2,158B               +0.8%
2004    2,229B              2,292B               +2.8%
2005    2,400B              2,568B               +7.0%
2006    2,568B              2,709B               +5.5%

[SUSSA]

Congress cut taxes too. The president can't cut taxes. By your standard you can't give Bush credit for the tax cuts.

[raybbr]

I hate to break it to you, but Joe Lieberman and Zell Miller are the ONLY two democrats alive today worth any praise! dims are evil, plain and simple. They are the party of death of the unborn, death of freedom, and death of our Nation.

Lieberman has SOPPORTED this administration's WOT. That is all that I said.

Can't keep track of your own posts. You said they were "worthy of praise" without any qualifications noted.

[LibLieSlayer]

For his position on the WOT ONLY! Is that too hard to understand? Look at my earlier post. I would NEVER vote for him, or any dim EVER!

BTW, take out Lieberman, and you make my original point even more succinct. Then there would ONLY be ONE living dim worthy of praise (Zell Miller).

LLS

[montag813]

Bartlett may lie at the extreme

YA THINK???

[indthkr]

bump for later