Posted on 11/11/2006 4:08:13 AM PST by MadIvan
On the morning after the mid-term elections, a humbled President George W Bush called it "a thumping".
But yesterday he described the disastrous result for the Republicans, when Congress turned from Republican red to Democrat blue, as a "great opportunity".
His aides were briefing that he now had the chance to build a domestic policy legacy and use his final two years in the White House to prove that politicians could get things done in Washington.
After a White House coffee meeting yesterday, Mr Bush chuckled as Senator Dick Durbin, part of the new Democratic leadership in the Senate, joked: "I do want to say thanks personally to the president and vice-president for their conciliatory gesture by wearing blue ties today.
"From our side, we think that is a symbolic indication."
Conservative Republicans and wary Democrats fear that Mr Bush might indeed try to steal the Democrats' clothes. "They talked about issues that people care about, and they won," he told the senators.
As a lame-duck president after years of poor relations with Democrats who were bitter about being frozen out of the decision-making process, turning opportunity into legislative reality will be one of the biggest challenges of Mr Bush's political career.
The message from the voters was that they rejected one-party rule in Washington and wanted to see whether divided government could lead to the kind of results Mr Bush was unable to achieve when Republicans were the kings of Capitol Hill.
Having been swept into power on the backs of their condemnation of a "do-nothing Congress", there will be pressure on Democrats to demonstrate that they can do business with Mr Bush. The president will want to leave office with achievements under his belt and use his power of veto sparingly.
"The Democrats should adopt a good government strategy rather than a take-no-prisoners strategy," said Senator Birch Bayh, a Democrat who served in the Senate for 18 years.
He believed that Republicans in Congress would adopt a new approach. "They've gotten the signal that people didn't like what was going on, that the well was poisoned. They're not going to be bomb throwers."
In 1996, President Bill Clinton and a Republican-controlled Senate and House of Representatives introduced a welfare reform Bill that became a landmark piece of social legislation. Both parties claimed credit for it. Republican presidents have also signed legislation sent to them by Democratic houses of Congress.
To the dismay of conservative Republicans, Mr Bush has already indicated that he agrees with the Democratic proposal to raise the minimum wage. But the centrepiece of his last 24 months in office could be a comprehensive overhaul of America's immigration laws.
His desire for tough border security measures combined with opportunities for many of America's 12 million illegal immigrants to become citizens is shared by more Democrats than Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Gardner Peckham, a senior aide to Newt Gingrich, speaker of the House after the Republican takeover of Capitol Hill in 1994, said: "Democrats will have to be very careful not to appear like they're looking backwards and wanting retribution.
"They won't want to look like they're the source of the problem. But they're not going to want the president to look good on any of these issues. The prize is the White House in 2008. Control of Congress is great, but without the White House you can't control the agenda."
Immigration, he suggested, would be "an interesting test" of whether genuine cooperation was possible.
We'll have to save that....lol.
That has got to be one of the most bizarre statements I've ever seen on FR. Congratulations, nmh on the first annual 'Alternative Universe' award........
?Following what logic? The logic that people will vote for politicians who promise to raise their wages? People will vote for politicians who promise to increase taxes 'on the rich.' I didn't say I was for an increase in minimum wage.
Till then, keep thinking the U.S. is doing well with ILLEGALS and the Guest Worker Program will really put the U.S. on the map! Truly, OPEN YOU R EYE and USE YOUR BRAIN!
Why don't you explain your rationale for your bizarre prediction about our now record-breaking economy is going to be like Brazil?
And provide facts with links, please........
I see now that it's all about illegal immigration and a LOT of emotion.
Never mind explaining the 'rationale' for your bizarro statement. I see you're a tad too emotional to do that.
Maybe later.
"The President, if he has any conscience of his allegiance to his Party will politely rebuff his father's directions and turn to help conservatives win back Congress. Again probable wishful thinking."
When pigs fly, he's the socialist he was raised to be!
Oh..........that wasn't intended to be funny??
(Psssst......it was).
The Lord's Prayer is 66 words, the Gettysburg Address is 286 words, there are 1,322 words in the Declaration of Independence, but government regulations on the sale of cabbage total 26,911. - The National Review
Well, I'm certainly a limited government conservative, but that's a far cry from the libertarian platform, which, IMO, isn't really conservative at all.
;-)
I knew that. :)
There won't BE a UAW if the Libocrats' Enviro-whacko branch kills the auto industry, or if interest rates and taxes go so high that there won't be any builder union-types working. The main union wages to go up (drum roll) will be...the employees of the Federal Government.
ping
People voted a Conservative Democrat into Governership of Colorado. They did it because he is pro-life, and conservative. People are voting for who they want, because the Republican Party betrayed their mandate to be conservative.
Instead of social and fisical responsibility, we got diversity and dynamic tax spending for socialist agendas.
The Repubicians got what they deserved this vote, and the Democrats got what they deserved last vote.
What we need and want are conservative leaders, who give a rip what football jersy they wear?
on c-span this morning there was the black woman clinton/hillary advisor talking about the "path to citizenship" form.
The politicians still don't get it that we the people know that ANY path equals amnesty.
If they want a guest worker program then pass a CLEAN unaffiliated guest worker program and let the illegals self deport if they want participation. The fact that their illegal lives get torn appart is tough cookies.
Bush isn't a liberal on immigration. He's a leftist. There's no daylight between his positions and those of fellow drunk Ted Kennedy.
We had a great time. The play was the Best of Broadway Play, "Sweet Charity" starring Molly Ringwald.
If the play comes to your area, you should try to attend.
It was superb.
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