Yes, it was a general post, not so much to you personally. I agree with everything you say. I have little good to say about Chafee, except these two things: i) he votes Republican for the Senate Majority Leader, and ii) I don't think he has run as a conservative and voted liberal. He hasn't been significantly more misleading in his campains than others. He represented himself to RI'ers as a liberal Republican, they elected him, and he has voted more or less as he said he would. I'm not sure how that makes him a traitor.
Ditto GWB. I don't agree with the no child left behind, Medicare prescription drug benefits, etc. But these were not especially surprising. He has not run one way and governed another.
What I object to on FR these days is the self-righteousness of many posters, coupled with the lack of common sense and civility. I suspect that I'm representative of FR posters in terms of policy and passions. In particular, I suspect I have few equals when it comes to my contempt for the MSM and the Dems. But what I see here on FR is too often counterproductive, and likely to ensure significant Republican losses going forward.
Re: immigration, I don't see much disagreement on the issues here. Most everyone I read agrees that this is a huge problem. I agree that it is a huge problem. GWB agrees that this is a huge problem. But there is a right way and a wrong way to pursue solutions. Those who scream the loudest and throw out the most personal insults and accusations aren't necessarily the most passionate or the purest.
Finally, and then I'll quit, there are times when GWB is stubborn and immovable. Iraq is an example, and thank goodness. But there are other times when he is cautious (yes, likely too cautious) but flexible. Examples include Supreme Court appointments and US ports. In those settings he usually takes a centrist position and then moves right. I strongly believe this is one of those instances. So we're first offered Harriet Meiers but end up with Justice Alito. This is not good strategy, but my point is that we should keep our eye on the end game and create opportunities for the President to move right. I'm sure some Freepers want to take credit for screaming really loud and shouting down Harriet Meiers and being so darn mad and intemperate that the President had no choice. It helps to fee the ego. I'd like to suggest, though, that the President saw the level of resistance, gathered the facts in a calm and reasoned manner, and substituted Sam Alito -- on the merits.