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."

[LibLieSlayer]

YOU guys keep bashing the only hope that we have, and we are going to see floundering of Biblical Proportions (when the dims win in '06/'08. Bank on it!

dims win and...
1) Bush will be Impeached
2) Higher Taxes, linked to massive NEW domestic spending
3) Pull troops out of Iraq, then Afghanistan (Fortress Amerika)
4) Hillarycare
5) 2nd Amendment redefined (see #5 below)
6) Liberal judges placed on Conservative district benches
7) Return of the "Great Society"
8) Socialism, Isolationism, Defeatism
9) Gay marriage will be Federally approved
10) Unionized/Nationalized industries such as ports, air travel... WalMart will be attacked until defeat is certain. Increased government interference in Small Business.
11) Mandated hybrid autos, coupled with unreal CAFE standards, Windfall Profits tax on fossil fuel, massive subsidy to ethanol etc. Gas will be at record highs.
12) History shows by this time we will be facing and "Old Time World War). History is our friend.

LLS

[ndt]

"I did chuckle. "

Never is a long long time :)

I would vote for a Libertarian president in a heartbeat if I thought there was a chance in hell they would win or if the other options were equally bad or benign.

The LP is really bad at getting their message to the masses. I love the work put out by the Cato Institute, but your average Joe is not going to stop and read it much less get it. They are shooting way too high.

[mcshot]

Anybody But Hiltlery

mc

[georgia2006]

Some conservatives actually want the things you mention to happen...

[Howlin]

People had better understand that when a lib mentions too much "spending", they MEAN TAXES ARE NOT HIGH ENOUGH!

Exactly.

[operation clinton cleanup]

So the Congress passes the bills and it's Bush's fault for not vetoing them?

[paudio]

Vote Libertarian. They are the only sane choice. If the GOP runs McCain and the Dems run Hitlery conservatives lose. So "throw" your vote away on what you want anyway, sane government.

There's always a chance that McCain appoints social conservative judges. Will Hillary ever do that? I don't think so.

[georgia2006]

the LP party isnt serious because so many of their memebers are memebers for one reason and one reason only..legal narcotics

[KarlInOhio]

All President Bush did is sign the bill that comes to his desk.

All President Bush did is sign every single bill that comes to his desk.

Just one veto on any appropriation bill would show he is serious. I think Clinton stole the veto pen along with the W keys when he left.

[MNJohnnie]

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? Did you EVER bother to think a Veto is NO guarantee Congress will not simply come back with a WORSE bill? No, of course not. Would not do to let any reality into your politically bigoted, ignorant little worlds. Just scream "White House Spin" and "Drinking the Republican Koolaid" rather then actual LEARN something for once. Would NOT do for the Whine All The Time Choir to actually THINK for once.

Congress have sent every Bush Budget back as much as 1/3 HIGHER then it went up to the Hill. Can we AT LEAST have the guts to put the blame WHERE it belongs for a change? But of course not since Mike Savage did not tell you this fact it doesn't exist in your sad little bubble world of ignorance.

[Moonman62]

They've all been pirates with taxpayers money but I get tired of congress getting a free pass.

Last I heard their approval rating was lower than GWB's. The quarterback always gets more of the credit or blame.

If they cut discretionary spending in half, the deficit goes away in two years even with paying for some wars but instead they brag on cutting it 5%.

Is that a real 5%, or is it a 5% decrease in the projected increase? You know how it goes.

[Howlin]

and this public, Republican mea culpa is coming at precisely the wrong time. They behaved pathetically this weekend in Memphis.

Amen.

And they cannot win by running away from Bush.

[LibLieSlayer]

Some people that think they are Conservative. Just reading that list should cause true Conservatives to break out in a RASH! :-)

LLS

[ilgipper]

Bruce Barlett is clearly a jackass. Bush has reduced taxes, and spurred on an economy through an economic downturn (that began before he was in DC) and several nation crisis that could sink an economy. I'd like to hear what this numbskull thinks that Bill Clinton did for the economy or to reduce spending.

[Wolfie]

Time to wise up. A Big Spending, Big Taxing, Globalist Federal Government is what we'll always have. You're only choice is a modicum of difference vis-a-vis social issues that have little real impact on your life, but great visceral appeal based on emotions. It's by design, and keeps us all from being a real threat to the Powers That Be.

[hedgetrimmer]

Congress is the one with the spending problem

Both branches of government are culpable. Remember how the Bush administration unlawfully held over the CAFTA vote til they got a majority? How they went to congressmen that had voted no, and by promising them pork barrel projects for their districts, got some to change their votes? Bush and Clinton both have refined the art of giving way federal tax money to achieve their political aims. That is not an honorable way to run a government, IMO and one reason we have such a spending problem.

The other part is the amount of federal money going out as subsidies to transnational corporations to create 'business environments' in targeted third world countries. They call it "trade capacity development" and it is costing the taxpayer BIG TIME, and costing our domestic economy its health.

[Moonman62]

Congress have sent every Bush Budget back as much as 1/3 HIGHER then it went up to the Hill. Can we AT LEAST have the guts to put the blame WHERE it belongs for a change?

A famous president once said the buck stops on GWB's desk. It does. He set the tone for this spendfest.

[Stentor]

Vote Libertarian. They are the only sane choice.

HAHAHAHAHA.

[paudio]

Some conservatives actually want the things you mention to happen...

Sadly, that's true. I wonder why.

[chris1]

You are kidding right??????????