An Open Letter to President Bush

Human Events ^ | January.23, 2007 | Tony Perkins

[Reagan Man]

The recent tributes to the late Gerald Ford were filled with pomp and ceremony. The media even recalled the former Republican president fondly. Gone was the firestorm over the Nixon pardon. Gone the relentless effort to portray this natural athlete as a helpless klutz.

In fact, once Ford retired he was extremely popular with the press, because retirement is where they wanted him all along. And that, Mr. President, is where they want you.

Already, the major media outlets are running cover stories featuring the hopefuls they hope will replace you. They’re counting the days until the next Inauguration. Sir, are you?

You have barely two years to rescue your endangered legacy. Certainly 9/11 will be at the center of much of what has distinguished your efforts. We all know you will stand firm for victory against the terrorists who want to kill Americans, even in the face of your opponents on Capitol Hill who claim they can protect us better than you can.

Yet on their first day in power, they had to run and hide from their own lunatic fringe. They want to shift all our support to "first responders." You can be sure that if we try to hunker in our bunker, our first responders will be doing a lot more first responding.

When it comes to your duties as commander-in-chief, millions of us know that George W. Bush will not give in. But there is a war on the home front that demands your attention as well. It is a struggle for the kind of world our children will inherit. Your domestic legacy is in serious jeopardy, sir.

You are being advised to abandon the people who elected you. With Democrats taking power ringed by attractive children and grandchildren, while imploring God’s blessing on their new majority, some in the press are telling you to man the battlements of the local country clubs. Ditch those pesky social conservatives, they whisper enticingly. Trade in the legacy of Reagan for the patrimony of Ford.

You have learned many lessons well, Mr. President. For example, you have publicly stated that your father’s greatest mistake was to sign the Democrats’ tax hike. We have a buoyant economy now because you had the courage to push through some of the largest pro-family tax cuts in history. Don’t saddle our children with more government gluttony. Fight to make the tax cuts permanent. As they say in Texas, draw the line in the sand on this one.

Thank you for standing your ground with excellent Supreme Court appointments like Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Sam Alito. Mr. President, don’t flinch now. If that battle must be fought again, we’ll be with you, if only for the hope that we’ll have courts that respect our laws and traditions rather than giving ultimate authority to unelected social engineers.

One of your dad’s greatest successes was his courageous pledge to veto any measure that threatened the lives of unborn children. Already, a letter is circulating on the Hill to support you in your defense of crucial pro-life policies. I urge you, Mr. President, to stand for life. Let a growing culture of life be a vital part of the George W. Bush legacy.

Twenty years ago, the political situation was similar. The media thought President Reagan was finished in the fall of 1986. Both Houses of Congress went to his opponents in the midterms. The political reporters were packing their bags for Iowa and New Hampshire. Those left in town headed to the Hill to participate in investigations, which, if they didn’t bring Reagan down, could at least tarnish him in the history books. In those days, some members of the President’s own administration were willing to run out the clock while they polished their resumes.

Faced with this, Reagan might have gone along with the halting and hesitant State Department types who advised caution. Oh, must you go to West Berlin? Do you really have to speak at that Wall? Well, if you must, say something nice like: "Some day this Wall will disappear."

Ronald Reagan did not take that advice. He did not become a bench warmer in the political game. He pushed back. He fought the good fight. He went to Berlin and called over its bloody barbed wire: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" The world heard. The world still hears.

With a banner of bright colors, not pale pastels, Ronald Reagan saved his presidency. He left the world a living legacy of liberty. The media has lots of plans for your retirement. They can’t wait for you to be in your library. You have two more years to disappoint your ceaseless critics, and to honor the principles that twice won you your office. Choose to fight, and pro-family Americans will choose again to be at your side.

[Mr. Perkins is president of the Family Research Council.]

[EagleUSA]

Forget it. The legacy has already been written.

[Chi-townChief]

Psycho.

[albie]

This letter will fall on deaf ears. Bush would have to perform the biggest 180 in the history of 180's! "I've decided against amnesty reform".--- "The press was wrong, I won't raise taxes to pay for SS and medicare".--- "I am going to use my veto stamp a lot in the next 20 months".--- Forget it! Not gonna happen.

[Danae]

No it hasn't.

If that were the case, Perkins reminder of what people thought in the last two years of Regan's Presidency would have come to pass, rather than being so utterly different than what the reality turned out to be. Regan was right and his Legacy shows it. George W. Bush is right too, not perfect, but then neither was Regan, but he is RIGHT on Terrorism and he has saved the lives of unnumbered Americans by fighting this war the way he has, by taking it right into the face of the Enemy. If you want the neighborhood bully to leave you alone you take it right into his home ground and you MAKE him want to leave ya alone. If for this reason alone, Bush's Legacy will shine through out history.

Sticking to your guns, not caving in, and FIGHTING tooth and nail for what you believe in gets you a Legacy as President.That was always Billy's problem, he never fought FOR anything other than his own aggrandizement. For his "Public Persona". He NEVER fought for the average American. He fought for himself and that is why he has NO legacy other than Monica. Oh, and shaking the hand of a known Terrorist, and the Murderer of American Diplomats, don't want to forget about that.

It isn't too late, the history of our future is not yet written.

[Reagan Man]

Calling Bush a psycho is a low blow. Uncalled for. I may not agree with the President on every issue, but that is way over the top.

Btw, I disagree with you and so does Tony Perkins. So what is the point of such an ad hominem response?

[jwparkerjr]

Couldn't have said it better myself. In fact, probably couldn't have said it as well!

I am old enough to remember "Give 'em hell, Harry" and that should our rallying cry right now. The Dems and Libs think sense they have us on the run, and they might be right but if so only marginally.

Back at the end of Bush the Elder's term the newspaper where I worked was doing an article on clinical depression how it goes unnoticed and untreated in so many cases. Failure of the primary care physician to recognize it for what it is results in lots of needless testing and long delays in getting help for those suffer from this often debilitating disease.

As I went about the task of taking his picture I noticed he had several pictures of both President Reagan and President Bush in his office. I couldn't help but make mention of his pictures and express my respect for both of them.

With that he launched into a dissertation on two men, then surprised me saying in his medical opinion President Bush suffered from really bad clinical depression! He pointed out that early on in his term he had been vibrant and outgoing but by the end of his second year he had changed remarkably. He said most observers passed off as the President being tired from the press of the office. He said if that was the case then we should have expected to see the same thing from President Reagan who was older and had suffered some major medical problems during his term in office. He went on to say the hallmark of clinical depression is a flat affective domain, that the person did not respond properly, if at all, to what was going on around him or her. They looked sad and dejected and had not spontaneity. He described a few other signs, as opposed to symptoms, and told me to watch for them next time I saw the President at an appearance. Bingo. He looked tired, but he also looked like his heart just wasn't in it. He was not spontaneous at all and would answer questions but only barely.

The doc said if this was the problem that as his term went on and he was not treated that he would appear to have no interest in his reelection. Sure enough, by the Summer of that year it was obvious his heart was not in being reelected.

I am seeing the same signs from President Bush right now. His heart just doesn't seem to be in what he's doing. He mouths the words and makes the trips, but he is not spontaneous. Compare his present affective domain with the man we saw a couple of years ago. The "Bring it on" cowboy.

I would never pretend to practice medicine without a license, especially to the extent that I would diagnose George Bush as suffering from clinical depression. However, the things this psychiatrist who specialized in the problem pointed out sure made sense.

As an after thought to this story my sister-in-law suffered from tremendous bouts of depression, almost to the point of being suicidal. She went to this doc and in three months she was a different person. We worked together and traveled together a lot and I was amazed at the turnaround!

[Chi-townChief]

[Reagan Man]

IIRC, towards the end of his term in office, GHW Bush was diagnosed with Graves disease. A malady associated with a hyper thyroid gland, AKA. "hyperthyroidism". There was talk at the time that Bush41 was depressed. While its true Bush41 didn't have that fire in the belly for his reelection campaign, there is no evidence he was suffereing from clinical depressed. We all have bad days, weeks and even a bad month from time to time.

I don't know about Bush43. He doesn't seem to be showing any serious signs of a personal malady. Bush43`s biggest problem is his opposition to a sound domestic agenda based on solid conservative policies. Second Presidential terms aren't known for any real successful political inititives. Reagan did have historic success negotiating with Gorbachev in reducing the two superpowers stockpiles of nuclear weapons. Bush has two years to achieve something. I'm just afraid it might be more of what the liberal Democrats and moderate-centrist-liberal Republicans are willing to accept, then what conservatives are looking for.

[4integrity]

'Sticking to your guns, not caving in, and FIGHTING tooth and nail for what you believe..'

Exactly! IMHO, the failure of many Republican Senators and Congressmen to do as stated above, is the true reason they lost the mid term elections. Rather than fighting for our great country and standing for what's right, many Rep Senators used 'the poll of the day' to make decisions.

I pray the President reads Mr.Perkins reminder. WE NEED the President to be strong. Catering to the liberal Democrats will further jeopardize our country.

[dirtboy]

You have two more years to disappoint your ceaseless critics, and to honor the principles that twice won you your office.

Exactly.

[sitetest]

It would be nice if Mr. Bush were to take Mr. Perkins advice, especially on the issue of life.

Mr. Bush could change history in a radical and wonderful way.

However, although I like Mr. Bush, voted for him four times (primaries, too), and gave his presidential campaign money, I don't think he's shown himself yet to be the equal of Mr. Reagan.

But here's hoping. ;-)

[Reagan Man]

Don’t saddle our children with more government gluttony.

Perkins is offering Bush some good advice. Whether Bush takes advice from anyone outside his inner-ring of loyal Bushies isn't a good bet. Based on his past governing patterns, its unlikely. Bush has no plan to reverse his domestic liberal policy agenda of the last six years. Bush`s legacy revolves around a successful outcome in Iraq. I hope Bush gets things turned around in Iraq. Otherwise, if Iraq fails, America will be the worse for it. And Bush then slips into the lowest level of Presidential rankings. You're right. Bush simply hasn't measured up to Reagan and the passing of time won't change that fact.

[sitetest]

Dear Reagan Man,

"Whether Bush takes advice from anyone outside his inner-ring of loyal Bushies isn't a good bet."

I don't know. I wouldn't at all rule out Mr. Bush doing something bold and daring.

"Bush has no plan to reverse his domestic liberal policy agenda of the last six years."

I don't expect much more from Mr. Bush on social issues, except that I will actively participate in grassroots efforts to push him to the wall if "justice" Stevens retires or croaks.

It would be nice if he went to the mat to make some or all of his tax cuts permanently.

But you're right, his legacy will rise or fall on Iraq.

I'm hoping and praying that Gen. Petraeus will live up to his advance billing.


sitetest

[Reagan Man]

>>>>>I'm hoping and praying that Gen. Petraeus will live up to his advance billing.

MegaDitto.