The truth is, we are right and they are wrong. We are not "infected with a blood poisioning that could take down the nation." It is the left and the mushy fastidious middle that is risking the Republic.
Pontius Pilot washed his hands too.
Posted on 05/12/2006 8:40:49 PM PDT by M. Thatcher
I’m off on politics for a while
I’ve decided that if I’m going to keep blogging, I’m going to have to leave off writing or reading about politics for a little while, because it’s all making me sick.
But as I put the subject away, I just have to ask all of you people - on every side - who have decided that immigration is one man’s burden, and that every good thing President Bush has done is to be negated because he hasn’t snapped his fingers and done what YOU think is the solution to the immigration problem…what did Clinton do about immigration, what did Bush 41 do? What did St. Reagan do? What did Carter do? What has any president, congressperson or senator done about immigration for the last 30 years, except kick the issue down the road for someone else to deal with?
Reagan, if you remember, was the amnesty president. Clinton was the “borders? What’s borders, everyone is our pal” president.
Lots of bills that were ignored by past presidents, particularly during our “vacation from history” have come due on Dubya’s watch. The whole world seems to be coming due on his watch, and damn him for not handling everything perfectly. What a loser, eh? And it’s easy to kick a guy when he’s down, isn’t it? AJ is getting weary of it, too.
Energy. We were promised back in the 1970’s by President Carter that we would cease to be dependant on Middle East for our energy. How’s that been working out, all these years, all these presidents, later? Oh…Bush DID try to get a comprehensive energy bill passed in congress. No go. Congress kicked it down the road for someone else to deal with. Whatever happened to expanding and strengthening the grid? What will we say this summer when the blackouts and brownouts occur? That bastard Bush…he didn’t fix this. No mention that congress kicked and kicked that ball away.
Social Security. We’ve been told it’s the “most important issue” - or at least we hear it every election year…but everyone knows it’s going to hell. Oh…Bush DID try to get a comprehensive reform of Social Security passed in congress. No go. Congress kicked it down the road for someone else to deal with. Social Security is a joke, but it’s a joke with a lockbox, and the key’s long throw-away.
Terrorism. We’ve essentially been at war with Islamofascism since our countrymen were held hostage for 444 days, since our soldiers were slaughtered in their barracks. Since Saddam tried to kill a former president. “This will not stand,” yeah, yeah, yeah…we heard it all. What did Carter do about it? What did Reagan? What did Bush 41? What did Clinton do - particularly when AlQ began to attack American interests, holdings and naval vessels on an average of every 20 months? What? Are those crickets I hear chirping?
Finally after 3,000 of our countrymen died action was taken, and the action continues…and Bush has worked very hard to keep us safe and to destroy the infrastructure, funding and communications of Al Qaeda and their ilk, but…you know…it’s a bad thing for us to monitor the calling habits of AlQ and their co-horts. That would be an awful abuse of power, wouldn’t it? Right up there with accessing FBI files on political opponants and other Nixonian tactics, right? Better to completely mischaracterize what he’s doing and call a hero a tyrant and a traitor a hero…because…because…well, because the truth is Bush is doing the job on terrorism too damn well, and we can’t bring ourselves to report that.
And now, immigration…one man is to blame, one man is at fault, one man must find the Solomonic solution. And if he doesn’t, he’s a bum no matter what else he’s done. Meanwhile, the press can’t get over the president who smiled and cried his way through two terms, and they still work on his legacy. Can you ever recall a time in history where 6 years after an administration ends, the ex-president is still breathlessly being polled-on, still being given (on most days) as much press as the current president? I can’t.
It’s not just about the president, though. There is a terrible toxicity to our political and social exchanges - there is little real thought and lots of shrieking going on, lots of noise, little real discourse and precious little honesty. There is no way to debate because - no matter which side tries to get serious - a well-thought-out discourse is immediately shot down by the other side with a one-line-sneer, usually a specious one, that distorts or misdirects and never allows a thought to go forward. The disrespect between “sides” is staggering, and completely unproductive. But non-productivity seems to be what people like. It’s “safe.” If you don’t do anything, you can’t get blamed, right? More kicking things down the road. Let the guy who actually wants to take some action bear the brunt of your fear, your insecurity, your anger, your scorn, your impotence. If he doesn’t do it all perfectly, he’s a bum. Prof. Bainbridge and Ed Morrissey report that “conservatives are abandoning Bush.”
Ah, well…I never did think of myself as a conservative, anyway…more like a classical liberal without a home…
I wonder who all those principled conservatives are going to vote for in ‘08. We did this “he’s not conservative enough for me, I’ll vote principles or stay home” thing once before, in 1992, didn’t we? How’d that work out for you?
There are games within games, and strategies within strategies, and in the end, I wonder if anyone - anyone at all - is really looking out for America beyond their own interests. I think the president is. I think certain exceptional blogs and a few - very few - professional folks in the press are. But there is a great deal of stuff out there that is all about taking the easy route - cynicism is easy, sneering is easy, rabble-rousing is easy - in order to promote oneself or one’s cause…and it’s beginning to drown out the rest.
The roiling hate that is the driving force behind the MSM and some parts of the blogosphere and so much more cannot produce anything good. All of these negatives cannot create a positive. I can’t be the only one who is feeling increasingly ill - not ill-at-ease, but physically ill - when looking at it. I have to think that there are folks on both sides, GOP and Dem, Liberal and Conservative who are looking at all of this and thinking…I’m not walking into that insanity. Seems to me both sides are completely infected with a blood-poisoning that could take down the nation. And I have no help to offer, because when I try to read about politics, lately - any story, be it a Kennedy car crash, or an imploding CIA, I want to puke. I physically want to vomit.
And so, for a while, I’m off the subject. We’ll talk sex, religion, baseball, opera and even - Lord help us - television. But to stay in the middle of the deleterious snakepit of politics…no…there be monsters.
I think for the summer, my little boat will sail in the other direction.
Thanks for posting the site. I bookmarked her.
There were 2, I repeat 2 employers taken to court in 2005, an all time low. Even Clinton kept the no.s in the mid hundreds.
Good post and the issue is not just with Bush but rather the state of the Republican party. I support what he has done to combat our enemies and he's done a good job overall on judicial matters but the Senate has sold him out.
However, I can certainly find fault with the way that he has handled immigration, spending, dealing with Iran, Russia and China.
I agree with the Anchoress. I think the rhetoric of both sides of the immigration debate are too extreme. More needs to be done on enforcement and closing the border, but there has to be some sort of earned legalization with penalty since 12 million are just not going to be deported. Once again, our president wants to do something constructive to address an actual problem, and gets nothing but abuse from both sides.
Good post but I have to say, I honestly think this poisoned atmosphere is the result of vile, lying, unscrupulous, dishonorable behavior on the part of democ-rats MUCH, MUCH more than it is due to the same from 99.9% of GOP'ers
I love it when someone writes my thoughts, and does it so well.
From both sides now, all I hear is: It's Bush's fault!
A few things are Bush's fault to one extent or another:
Roberts and Alito on the Supreme Court for many years to come. Many conservative appellate judeges appointed. Saddam deposed and on trial. The Taliban overthrown. Gaddafi disarmed. Income, capital gains, dividends and inheritance taxes cut. No attacks on US soil since 9/11/01. Al Gore is not our president, and neither is John Kerry. The Left is insane, furious and deranged (one of my favorites).
Soon, Bush and the Republicans will stake out the right side of the immigration debate, and the Dems will be sinking fast. Rove hasn't lost his touch, timing is everything. Have patience grasshoppers...I am going to love watching the MSM having to report the "stunning comeback" of GWB.
I sure appreciate you.
I came to that conclusion months ago.
The truth is, we are right and they are wrong. We are not "infected with a blood poisioning that could take down the nation." It is the left and the mushy fastidious middle that is risking the Republic.
Pontius Pilot washed his hands too.
Outstanding!
save
bump
good one
Good post, its the same feeling I have had for a while now.
If that is you we can't afford to lose you.
I agree.
DEAR LORD, I HOPE YOUR PREDICTION IS RIGHT!
Cause from where I'm sitting, I can't see it happening.
Bump
With that said I firmly believe our base is already starting to come back together and by Nov we will be mostly united (to the dismay of the MSM).
We have a d*mn fine POTUS/CIC. A man of tremendous character who has a quiet and steadfast resolve about him. Traits that are sourly lacking in most men today.
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