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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: Truth29
The second term has been awful. Failed social security reform, Harriet Miers, failure to make the tax cuts permanent, not fighting hard for his judges, waiting too long to change tactics in Iraq, and now the immigration fiasco.

And now the party will be so badly divided going into 2008 and fight such a headwind of discontent over Bush, that it could be a disaster.

321 posted on 06/29/2007 10:39:38 AM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: AmusedBystander

“both Bush administrations have done a remarkably good job on justices”

I am from NH and I think Souter is a piece of S&*T.


322 posted on 06/29/2007 10:45:19 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: colorado tanker
Leave Bush behind and drive on, it’s the only answer. Protect the troops, their funding and find a new leader for Conservatives to rally behind.

No point in crying over spilt milk, nor feuding over it.

The AMNESTY bill’s defeat has given new voice and power to Conservatives(not Republicans), we should work on expanding that, reclaim the small government tax cutting penumbra and carry forward — The time is ripe.

323 posted on 06/29/2007 10:47:19 AM PDT by Tarpon
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To: Vision

He## will freeze over before Bush gets militant about building the border fence. It just won’t happen with his personality and political stances.


324 posted on 06/29/2007 10:57:22 AM PDT by Truth29
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To: Tarpon
Yep, Republicans will have to steal Sarkozy’s script, and run against the legacy of their own leader.
325 posted on 06/29/2007 11:01:58 AM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: colorado tanker

I don’t think ‘run against Bush’ is the way, just acknowledge his mistakes and promise not to follow the same line. Be gentle but be firm. I don’t ascribe to Bush bashing at all. Sarkozy was very careful about what he did, and it worked. We should learn from that.

The AMNESTY debate proved we can do it as well, you do not have to attack Bush to make your point.


326 posted on 06/29/2007 11:05:40 AM PDT by Tarpon
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To: Tarpon
Gone fishin'

327 posted on 06/29/2007 11:06:31 AM PDT by evets (Beer)
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To: Tarpon
Sarkozy was very careful about what he did, and it worked. We should learn from that.

Agreed.

328 posted on 06/29/2007 11:16:22 AM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: alicewonders
I remember years ago, everyone had bumper stickers on their cars that said, "THROW THE BUMS OUT!"
I think it's time to revive those stickers.

GREAT idea. You're in charge of that one. ;-)

329 posted on 06/29/2007 11:18:37 AM PDT by truthkeeper (It's the borders, stupid./LOUD and PROUD!)
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To: Realist
His dream of being the father of the North American Union has been shot down. That was the legacy he was working so hard for

These two little sentences have more power and truth than most of what I have read on the issue in the past 3 years.

Oh, and did I mention that I agree with you completely?

330 posted on 06/29/2007 11:25:37 AM PDT by truthkeeper (It's the borders, stupid./LOUD and PROUD!)
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To: romanesq
Anyone watching Bush yesterday could see that he was not only upset but was emotional about seeing Shamensty go down in flames. I think he was in total shock.

You are absolutely correct...that's what I saw too. He actually looked more shocked than when he was first informed about 9-11, imho.
A stunning blow to him, obviously.

331 posted on 06/29/2007 11:28:30 AM PDT by truthkeeper (It's the borders, stupid./LOUD and PROUD!)
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To: alicewonders
Suddenly I feel like putting on a kilt & painting my face blue.

I love it. You're on a roll! (And love your tag line too.)

332 posted on 06/29/2007 11:31:07 AM PDT by truthkeeper (It's the borders, stupid./LOUD and PROUD!)
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To: IndyTiger

Well today, a poll said that over 50% of Americans will never vote for Her Highness. Ohio might or might not go for Dems. Let us see if our GOP nominee can stand for something that would bring back voters to the fold. I concur with your first statements. W did do good on SCOTUS, the WOT, tax cuts but then nothing more seemed to have anything with his BASE and their agendas.


333 posted on 06/29/2007 11:31:38 AM PDT by phillyfanatic ( w)
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To: Conservativegreatgrandma
“You got that right. We can’t let them get by with this. This was a Democrat (Teddy Kennedy) bill with only the support of a few Republicans. Republicans defeated it.”

You’ve got that wrong. One of the “FEW” Republicans was the “LEADER” of the Republican Party. Republicans did NOT defeat it, Conservatives did. Republican and Conservative are not synonymous.

334 posted on 06/29/2007 11:32:54 AM PDT by Scarlet Pimpernel
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To: goldstategop

Bush allowing Kennedy to write his immigration bill for him showed the Base who’s side Bush was on.

Bush ready to switch Parties yet?


335 posted on 06/29/2007 11:45:09 AM PDT by OldArmy52 (Bush's Legacy: 100 million new Dem voters in next 20 yrs via the 2007 Amnesty Act.)
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To: Buffettfan
These ungrateful foreigners (once the become able to vote here) will never vote Republican. Everyone of their racist, separatist so called civil rights groups La Raza (The Race), LULAC, MALDEF and all rabid democrats. The republicans are delirious if they think they can capture the ungrateful hispanic vote.

Those of us on the ground, in the trenches always knew this. Makes on wonder if the so called Republicans weren't fully aware of this too.

336 posted on 06/29/2007 11:48:57 AM PDT by dragnet2
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To: newguy357
kneejerk? Most all of the people you would label "bush haters" used to be staunch bush supporters. There is no kneejerk reflex going on here. This is a long, reasoned conclusion built upon a long list of betrayals. The only thing kneejerk is the reaction of you lunatics who are so full of obsession for Bush that you wouldn't bad-mouth him if he formally adopted the democratic party platform--which he nearly has.

Well said. I was a supporter of W in both elections. I used to frame all those "autographed" photos of him and Laura that I got for sending in contributions, and used to get a kick out of receiving a Christmas card from the White House.

Well, I've thrown all that stuff away. It was bad enough that Jorge got behind this bill, but when he started dissing fellow Republicans for rejecting Shamnesty, he really went too far. I'd probably still re-vote for him if I could go back in time, but I'd certainly have to hold my nose to do so.

For the most part, I do now see W as a failure. Not on the epic level of Jimmah, but a failure, nonetheless. He failed to veto McCain/Feingold when he had a chance; failed to fire Norm Mineta because it wasn't PC; failed to move our troops out of the line of fire once their mission was accomplished, and instead kept them right in the middle of an internecine struggle between various factions of a barbaric death cult; and now Shamnesty. Even if I am wrong on where Iraq should have gone, he failed to sell the American people on his plans in the ME. W was better than Gore or Kerry would have been, but not much better, IMO.

No matter how effective Bush-bots feel he has been in the W.O.T., he has seriously undermined national security in his failure to see the importance of border security.

337 posted on 06/29/2007 11:57:16 AM PDT by Sans-Culotte
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To: dirtboy
No, but he could have done a better job countering the likes of Murtha and Pelosi and Reid.

Like how .. those loons don't pay any attention to what the President or anyone else says

How do you debate people who don't want to admit reality .. those loons don't think terrorism is a major issue

338 posted on 06/29/2007 12:00:58 PM PDT by Mo1 ( http://www.gohunter08.com)
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To: Tarpon
Might I suggest he engage Harry Reid

You really think that will work??

get real

339 posted on 06/29/2007 12:02:22 PM PDT by Mo1 ( http://www.gohunter08.com)
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To: Mo1
Like how .. those loons don't pay any attention to what the President or anyone else says

Oh, you're not trying to change the mind of the loons. Just the centrists who can be swayed by the loons.

340 posted on 06/29/2007 12:05:45 PM PDT by dirtboy (Impeach Chertoff and Gonzales. We can't wait until 2009 for them to be gone.)
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