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Dubya's End
New York Post ^ | June 29, 2007 | John Podhoretz

Posted on 06/29/2007 4:14:31 AM PDT by Truth29

DUBYA'S END

BORDER BILL THE LAST BLOW

June 29, 2007 -- PRESIDENT Bush's disastrous second term has not been without its moments. Unfortunately for him, these moments have come primarily when members of his own party have risen up against him to defy his wishes. That's what happened yesterday. For the second time in four weeks, Republicans in the Senate put a stake through the heart of Bush's beloved but politically catastrophic immigration bill.

It's also what happened in the early months of the second term, when Bush chose to nominate his unqualified aide, Harriet Miers, to the Supreme Court - and finally backed down and had her withdraw her name after three weeks of lobbying and complaining.

(snip)

He would not and could not back down on immigration reform, an issue far too close to his heart. But after the Senate first rejected the bill at the end of May, Bush could have left it alone and accepted defeat. He could have seen reason, as he did in January 2004 when he first proposed a piece of legislation and was met with an uprising from his conservative base - whereupon he prudently dropped the subject because he was running for re-election and needed a united and enthusiastic Republican electorate behind him.

(snip)

And perhaps most interesting, Bush chose to believe it was more important to court potential future Republican voters - those illegals who would have gained a "path to citizenship" under the terms of the bill in 13 years' time - rather than listen to the concerns of present-day Republican voters.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: amnesty; bush43; deathofthegop; illegalaliens; illegalimmigration; podhoretz; politicalcaptial; term2; vampirebill; victory
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To: ruination

I’m still waiting for the “Build the Actual Fence (of the Secure Fence Act of 2006) Act of 2007.”


301 posted on 06/29/2007 9:52:20 AM PDT by NewJerseyJoe (Rat mantra: "Facts are meaningless! You can use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!")
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To: Truth29
PRESIDENT Bush's disastrous second term has not been without its moments.

Nothing like a little hyperbole to get an author's blood flowing.

Perhaps the veto of the stem cell research funding increase was 'diasterous' to the writer. It was a good thing to me.

302 posted on 06/29/2007 9:55:35 AM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: DCPatriot
You're the one that found the need to traipse out your wife's pedigree...

I ain't the one who played the race card against critics of the legislation in question. Bray has done that repeatedly.

303 posted on 06/29/2007 9:58:47 AM PDT by dirtboy (Impeach Chertoff and Gonzales. We can't wait until 2009 for them to be gone.)
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To: DCPatriot; bray
In reality your wife is 'Mexican' like I'm Sicilian/German.

I never said she was Mexican. I said she was latina/hispanic. Bray made the jump that she was Mexican and an immigrant when she is native born. And also tried to insinuate that her parents could be illegal aliens.

So bray is a lot like Jesse Jackson - a guy who loves to play the race card against legitimate critics, but who isn't above some bigotry himself.

304 posted on 06/29/2007 10:00:42 AM PDT by dirtboy (Impeach Chertoff and Gonzales. We can't wait until 2009 for them to be gone.)
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To: bray
I have long suspected that the Mexican debate

There you go again. This was not a "Mexican" debate. It was a debate about how to deal with illegal immigration. That ol' race card of yours is getting downright shiny from all the times you have played it.

was a way for “conservatives” to find a way to stop supporting the war and still appear ‘conservative’

Funny, most folks opposed to illegal immigration also have been staunch supporters of the Iraq War. However, support of the war does not mean that valid criticism of how the war has been waged should be stymied.

Oh, that's right, that's how you think...

305 posted on 06/29/2007 10:03:33 AM PDT by dirtboy (Impeach Chertoff and Gonzales. We can't wait until 2009 for them to be gone.)
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To: bray
Since when was it racist to call a Mexican a Mexican??

She's not Mexican. I called her Latina/hispanic and you assumed Mexican. She's a native-born citizen. So were her parents and grandparents and great-grandparents. Her father and all her uncles served in the military, but you asked if her parents were illegals.

In other words, you think that we don't have native-born fourth-generation citizens, which shows how ignorant you are.

306 posted on 06/29/2007 10:10:48 AM PDT by dirtboy (Impeach Chertoff and Gonzales. We can't wait until 2009 for them to be gone.)
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To: bray

Who says I stopped supporting the GWOT war? I do not, it was the right thing to do and remains the right thing to do. I will never abandon our troops on the field of battle, no matter what. Mistakes get made in every war, no difference this war.

When the Iraq resolution was voted on, the RATs supported the war ... Bush losing the debate with the anti-war crowd allowed the RATs to get the upper hand with the American people. The problem is Bush never engaged the RATs when they lied, so the lies became accepted.

In a modern war it is necessary that the people stay on the side of the effort, else the pressure will mount for withdrawal when the going gets tough. That is what has happened. You can choose to ignore it, but that won’t change the facts.

You asked how the President mucked it up and I told you.


307 posted on 06/29/2007 10:10:48 AM PDT by Tarpon
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To: dirtboy
Well...we're arguing over semantics.

Does your wife have any hint of a Latina accent in her speech? I'll guess that she doesn't...since you said she is native born.

I just think that pointing out you have a 'Latina' spouse doesn't give your opinion any more weight...and doesn't insulate you from charges of xenophobia and having faux outrage over 'lawbreaking' border jumpers.

If you're angry about that, then pick up the phone and complain to your county LEO..especially living in a border state the way you do.

308 posted on 06/29/2007 10:16:26 AM PDT by DCPatriot ("It aint what you don't know that kills you. It's what you know that aint so" Theodore Sturgeon))
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To: DCPatriot; bray
Does your wife have any hint of a Latina accent in her speech? I'll guess that she doesn't...since you said she is native born.

She's fluent in both languages and might have the slightest trace of an accent.

I just think that pointing out you have a 'Latina' spouse doesn't give your opinion any more weight...

See if you can keep up with this. Bray has run from thread to thread saying the critics of the immigration legislation are anti-Mexican bigots. I countered that my wife is latina (in other words, racially similar to most Mexicans, with both European and Indian blood). And she's opposed to illegal immigration and this bill. So I was just showing bray how stupid his playing of the race card was.

And then bray showed his own ignorance by assuming that latina=Mexican and therefore her parents probably were illegal. That was his own doing. Showed who the real racist was on this thread.

309 posted on 06/29/2007 10:19:49 AM PDT by dirtboy (Impeach Chertoff and Gonzales. We can't wait until 2009 for them to be gone.)
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To: Tarpon

Perhaps you can name a popular war in American histoir?? Certainly not WWII where we nearly lost public opinion and had to give in to Russia at Yalta.

Pray for W and Our Troops


310 posted on 06/29/2007 10:21:44 AM PDT by bray (Free the Hidatha 8)
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To: dirtboy

Too funny calling people racists when you reported me for calling you a racist. That is hysterical and despaRat at the same time.

Imagine someone thinking a Mexican immigrant being from Mexico, for shame!

Pray for W and Our Troops


311 posted on 06/29/2007 10:24:00 AM PDT by bray (Free the Hidatha 8)
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To: Tarpon
Come to think of it, I don't think Bush ever engaged in the debate with the anti-war Democrats. And that is the problem

You think the President should have debated Cindy Sheehan .. or Code Pink .. or A.N.S.W.E.R ????

You have lost your mind

312 posted on 06/29/2007 10:24:46 AM PDT by Mo1 ( http://www.gohunter08.com)
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To: bray
Too funny calling people racists when you reported me for calling you a racist.

Gee, you've had two posts pulled for your unprincipled race card attacks against critics of illegal immigration.

Imagine someone thinking a Mexican immigrant being from Mexico

I never said she was Mexican. I said she was latina and hispanic. You assumed that meant Mexican. And that there was a good chance her parents were illegals.

Pretty ignorant on your part.

313 posted on 06/29/2007 10:25:59 AM PDT by dirtboy (Impeach Chertoff and Gonzales. We can't wait until 2009 for them to be gone.)
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To: Mo1
You think the President should have debated Cindy Sheehan .. or Code Pink .. or A.N.S.W.E.R ????

No, but he could have done a better job countering the likes of Murtha and Pelosi and Reid.

314 posted on 06/29/2007 10:26:42 AM PDT by dirtboy (Impeach Chertoff and Gonzales. We can't wait until 2009 for them to be gone.)
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To: gemma0000
But the conservative base, not the President, won out and we got Alito instead of Miers,

Uh...what? Bush could have nominated any liberal and they would have been approved by the Senate, he nominated Alito and deserves full credit. As far as Miers, who knows she may have turned out farther right than Thomas. Most appointments never turn out like they are intended although both Bush administrations have done a remarkably good job on justices.

315 posted on 06/29/2007 10:27:14 AM PDT by AmusedBystander (Republicans - doing the work that Democrats won't do since 1854.)
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To: bray

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT


316 posted on 06/29/2007 10:28:15 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: Mo1

Might I suggest he engage Harry Reid. In fact, the opportunity presents itself again today as the libs again attempt to cut Iraq funding.

Or maybe he should have stuck up for Gen Pace ...

Engaging irrational nuts is not debate.


317 posted on 06/29/2007 10:29:27 AM PDT by Tarpon
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To: Samwise; Peanut Gallery

ping to #2


318 posted on 06/29/2007 10:30:51 AM PDT by Professional Engineer (Pray for the president, for he has clearly gone insane.)
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To: All

319 posted on 06/29/2007 10:32:41 AM PDT by GoRepGo (Where's the fence!?)
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To: bray

A war doesn’t have to be popular, it just needs constant explanation in public by the leader. There is no denying that this is the most significant failure of Bush. No war is popular, it just needs doing.

If Bush needs targets to take on, Murtha, Obey, Peloser, they will be back in the next few days arguing that the Iraq war funds be cut off. I assume that Bush will be right out front making the case we cannot withdraw ... the GWOT is to critical for America — Right?


320 posted on 06/29/2007 10:33:56 AM PDT by Tarpon
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