Buckley: Bush Not A True Conservative

CBS News ^ | July 22, 2006 | Thalia Assuras

[West Coast Conservative]

President Bush ran for office as a "compassionate conservative." And he continues to nurture his conservative base — even issuing his first veto this week against embryonic stem cell research.

But lately his foreign policy has come under fire from some conservatives — including the father of modern conservatism. CBS Evening News Saturday anchor Thalia Assuras sat down for an exclusive interview with William F. Buckley about his disagreements with President Bush.

William F. Buckley's Stamford, Conn., home is a tranquil place that allows Buckley to think and write, and spend time with his canine companion, Sebastian.

"He's practically always with me," Buckley says.

Buckley finds himself parting ways with President Bush, whom he praises as a decisive leader but admonishes for having strayed from true conservative principles in his foreign policy.

In particular, Buckley views the three-and-a-half-year Iraq War as a failure.

"If you had a European prime minister who experienced what we've experienced it would be expected that he would retire or resign," Buckley says.

Asked if the Bush administration has been distracted by Iraq, Buckley says "I think it has been engulfed by Iraq, by which I mean no other subject interests anybody other than Iraq. ... The continued tumult in Iraq has overwhelmed what perspectives one might otherwise have entertained with respect to, well, other parts of the Middle East with respect to Iran in particular."

Despite evidence that Iran is supplying weapons and expertise to Hezbollah in the conflict with Israel, Buckley rejects neo-conservatives who favor a more interventionist foreign policy than he does, including a pre-emptive air strike against Iran — and its nuclear facilities.

"If we find there is a warhead there that is poised, the range of it is tested, then we have no alternative. But pending that, we have to ask ourselves, 'What would the Iranian population do?'"

Buckley does support the administration's approach to the North Korea's nuclear weapons threat, believing that working with Russia, China, Japan and South Korea is the best way to get Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. But that's about where the agreement ends.

"Has Mr. Bush found himself in any different circumstances than any of the other presidents you've known in terms of these crises?" Assuras asks.

"I think Mr. Bush faces a singular problem best defined, I think, as the absence of effective conservative ideology — with the result that he ended up being very extravagant in domestic spending, extremely tolerant of excesses by Congress, and in respect of foreign policy, incapable of bringing together such forces as apparently were necessary to conclude the Iraq challenge," Buckley says.

Asked what President Bush's foreign policy legacy will be to his successor, Buckley says "There will be no legacy for Mr. Bush. I don't believe his successor would re-enunciate the words he used in his second inaugural address because they were too ambitious. … So therefore I think his legacy is indecipherable"

At 81, Mr. Buckley still continues to contribute a regular column to the National Review, the magazine he started 51 years ago.

[do the dhue]

If Bush is not a true Conservative what am I?

I differed on a bill that changed time and a half after forty for some people.

I differed on the Meirs nomination

I differ on immigration. I want true Border Security.

As far as spending, we are at war and I tolerate a bit of spending. I believe in Tax cuts generating revenue and we will fix it in the long run.

I believe Bush has built a solid economy. Not an economy that will dot bomb. I believe it is built on strong ground during troubled times (911 and price of oil).

I have not wavered, faltered, tired, or failed in regards to my support for the War on Terrorism.

It seems to me that there hasn't been gun bills flying around like they did when Clinton was President. Partial birth abortion has been outlawed. Stem cell promise upheld. I support his plan for Social Security and faith based programs. I support the money that is being spent to help New Orleans. And I like that we don't let North Korea blackmail us into giving them oil so they don't build nukes (see Bill for that and Ill built nukes anyway).

I think this President has been tried by fire and has done a great job. So there are a few things I depart with him on. I think we can work with him. He was a wise man and change his mind with Meir. A fool won't change their mind. Call me a Bushbot or what you will, but I support my President.

[Reagan Man]

In the early to mid-1990`s, Rush was an important factor in advancing the conservatism of Ronald Reagan and Newt Gingrich. Rush did a great job of spreading the conservative agenda to people who never paid much attention to politics. Rush deserves lotsa credit for helping the GOP gain control of the Congress for the first time in 40 years. However, it was the ideas and the politics of Newt Gingrich, and his "Contract With America" that were the major forces behind getting grass roots conservatives to get out and vote.

Bill Buckley was the Godfather of the modern cosnervative movement. Buckley was a major reason for Ronald Reagan becoming a Republican and getting involved in politics. Without Bill Buckley, there would be no modern conservative movement today.

[quesera]

"The reporter wasted a drive out to see an old man flattered by the attention."

The reporter got exactly what he wanted out of the trip. A blow to the president and the republicans by getting a "conservative" to criticize our current policies.

Exactly!

[Prokopton]

"I'd vote for Bush again in that same situation, warts and all"

And so would Buckley.

[DennisR]

The last two? How about the last six? President Bush is spending money in a faster fashion than the Democrats normally do. Has he ever vetoed a budget? Nay - nary a one. So neither he nor Congress have any fiscal sense. There is only one way to have smaller government - cut off the money that powers it. And President Bush refuses to do that. To say I am disappointed is supremely understated.

[FastCoyote]

"actually..it was a radio host with little formal education that was credited with ending four decades of dem control of the congress..my two cents.."

Yup, conservatives owe Rush the world right now.

[rebel_yell2]

The President does not appropriate funds; the Congress does. The blame for drunken-sailor spending falls at the feet of our Republican Congress. Out of power for 50 years, they now are worse than Tip O'Neil and his cronies. Who would have thought it possible?

I remember how Reagan was vilified during and after his second term. I see the same with Dubya. He has Reagan' vision thing. In twenty years, his legacy will be secure. Polls be damned. Remember how "Star Wars" was a joke; a joke we now pray becomes a reality in the nearest future.

[clooney4824]

Yup...you are exactly right...it was Rush who ended the liberal dominance in Congress.

[rebel_yell2]

Even Reagan wasn't absolutely perfect. :-)

[Texasforever]

BALONEY. By the time the elimination of deductions were factored in the cash in the pocket result was almost a wash. Don't piss on my leg and tell me it is raining. I lived it.

[Cobra64]

W is not conservative.

OK hot shot. Ronald Reagan is considered the gold standard for Conservative presidents....

Perhaps you should change your moniker to Mr. Belligerent.

I did not compare President Bush to President Reagan. So why all the ranting? Did you miss your Anger Management session?

The term "Conservative" is a subjective and a relative term.

[Texasforever]

No you said Bush is not a conservative, I then put up the Gold standard for conservative to show you that Bush has actually walked the Conservative talk.

[Cobra64]

W has done more conservative things than Ronald Reagan every thought of doing.

Did I mention Ronald Reagan? Please explain your response.

You shouldn't be drinking this early on a Sunday morning.

[sinkspur]

You shouldn't be drinking this early on a Sunday morning.

LOL! Daddy let you stay up and use the computer a little later tonight, huh?

[do the dhue]

Rush did a great job of spreading the conservative agenda to people who never paid much attention to politics

I beg to differ with this statement, please:

Rush you could say Rush gave a dying media, AM Radio, CPR and AM came back to life.

But it wasn't Rush. It was the demand for Conservatives to have a voice. Conservatives had no voice an NBC, CBS, ABC and later CNN. Conservatives could not be heard over the liberal babble going on in the Main Stream Media.

Rush was brilliant!!
He provided a product for the demand and many more like him followed. Talk Radio became the all the rave because that is where Conservatives could be heard. Foxnews saw the need and filled it too.

It wasn't Rush, it was because the Liberals stool our voice which created a need. We should never let that happen again.

[Cobra64]

No you said Bush is not a conservative, I then put up the Gold standard for conservative to show you that Bush has actually walked the Conservative talk.

You put up the "Gold standard for conservatives."

You don't listen, nor reason well do you?

I said, in my opinion, that the term Conservative is a relative term.

For the sake of argument, if I were to say that I do not consider Reagan a conservative; then your subjective logic falls flat in comparing Bush to Reagan.

BTW, I think President Reagan was the finest President in the 20th century.

[bruinbirdman]

"W is not conservative."

Whatever happened to the eleventh amendment?

yitbos