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Conservatives Shouldn't Abandon Bush
Townhall.com ^ | July 13, 2007 | Mike Gallagher

Posted on 07/13/2007 5:15:02 AM PDT by Kaslin

Watching a steady stream of Democrats like Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, and Chuck Schumer each take their turn delightedly pummeling President Bush over the war in Iraq today, I couldn’t help but think of fellow conservatives who are starting to give aid and comfort to these Democrat Party loyal oppositionists.

According to Byron York of the National Review, the Republican Party base has simply decided to throw Mr. Bush under the wheels of the bus. Since so many of us disagree with him on things like illegal immigration and Scooter Libby, York opines that a whole bunch of Republican loyalists are practically counting the days until Jan. 20, 2009, when a new commander-in-chief takes up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Other conservative voices are jumping on the Bush-bashing bandwagon. The other night on Fox News, I saw a radio host proclaim that the president’s soft stance on illegals has cost him support for the war in Iraq.

Just what, precisely, is the point?

Why do conservatives believe that trashing the Bush Administration’s efforts on everything from this complicated war to a commutation of a vice-presidential aide will accomplish anything but give Democrats more ammunition against the GOP in 2008

Look, I’m as disappointed in this administration’s attempted amnesty for illegals as anyone. But I looked President Bush in the eye in the Oval Office and saw a man who truly believes in his heart that giving illegals a “path to citizenship” is the right thing to do.

I believe he’s wrong. But I know that this good and decent man believes he’s right.

So because of this issue, I’m supposed to abandon my president?

I’m expected to go on radio and TV and give miserable attack dogs like Dick Durbin more ways to say, “See -- even Republican supporters of Bush are defecting!”?

From the day the bombs started dropping on Baghdad, President Bush kept telling us that nothing about this war would be easy. Our nation has never attempted something as bold as installing democracy in this troubled part of the world and attempting to make a country like Iraq stable enough so that they can handle their own terrorists without our intervention.

Simply put, the vast majority of Americans supported our country’s pre-emptive strike. The longer this battle rages, the more we see impatient Americans start complaining. I guess that’s what a society in a Tivo/Iphone era does.

And I certainly expect that from Democrats who blame George W. Bush for everything from hurricanes to health care.

But I think it takes some guts to stand behind a president who is doing what he believes to be right, even in the face of enormous opposition.

Liberals are emboldened by Republican-fueled criticism. And if good folks like Byron York aren’t careful, we’ll be handing over the White House on a silver platter to Hillary or Barack. After all, just how far can Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson distance themselves from the Bush Administration?

Liberals are emboldened by Republican-fueled criticism. And if good folks like Byron York aren’t careful, we’ll be handing over the White House on a silver platter to Hillary or Barack. After all, just how far can Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson distance themselves from the Bush Administration?

Besides, who really wants to be on the same side of the political fence as Harry Reid, Ted Kennedy…or Betty Williams?

Betty Williams won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for creating a group that helped initiate peace talks in Northern Ireland. This week, she was the keynote speaker at The International Women’s Peace Conference in Dallas. According to the Dallas Morning News, during her speech she told the thousand or so attendees, “Right now, I could kill George Bush.” The paper said she went on to demand his impeachment since “the Muslim world right now is suffering beyond belief” as a result of this administration’s foreign policy.

What a woman of peace. That’s some “peace conference.”

I’m not sure what would happen if an American traveled to Northern Ireland and expressed a desire to kill Mary McAleese, the current President of Ireland. I doubt that such an opinion would be met with cheers and a standing ovation, as was reported had occurred when the Nobel laureate said what she said in Dallas.

And when we tracked Betty Williams down and put her on my radio show, I was shocked to hear her claim that any published report that quoted her as saying, “Right now, I could kill George Bush” was lying. I reminded her that according to numerous published reports, she used the exact same phrase in a July 24, 2006 speech to schoolchildren at the Brisbane City Hall. At that point in the interview, she sounded totally defeated and said she not only “regretted” saying it, when I asked her if she was sorry for saying it, she said she was. In fact, the Dallas Morning News sent me the audio of the speech which confirms their reporting of Ms. Williams comments about the president.

You can hear my interview with this awful woman at www.mikeonline.com.

People like Betty Williams and Michael Moore and Nancy Pelosi and Keith Olbermann and so many others on the left have made it quite clear what they think of George W. Bush. They teem with hatred and contempt.

They sure don’t need to get any assistance from us. Now, more than ever, we ought to stand behind President Bush.

But if people on the left OR right don’t want to support him these days, I have a heartfelt reminder: November of 2008 will be here soon enough.

Until then, how about getting off the president’s back?


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: amnesty; bashbotbait; bbs; bds; bush; bushbotbait; bushbotslaststand; conservatives; gop; mikegallagher; republican; republicanbase; term2; vampirebill
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To: tgusa

what a joke.

You voted for Bush twice and you can’t name ONE policy of his that has changed.

Every thread here on FR turns into a “why we hate Bush” thread.

So, I’ll ask this in every post.

tgusa, name one policy of Bush’s (and, specifics, please) that has changed?


41 posted on 07/13/2007 5:47:25 AM PDT by laurie_d
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To: laurie_d
Baloney? You deny he worked with Kennedy on Shamnesty?
and you deny he ignored his base (again)?

Welcome to FRepublic, newbie.

42 posted on 07/13/2007 5:48:06 AM PDT by Diogenesis (Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
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To: Diogenesis

I ask again.

Diogenesis, name one policy of Bush’s that has changed.


43 posted on 07/13/2007 5:48:35 AM PDT by laurie_d
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To: Diogenesis
You voted for Bush twice and you can’t name ONE policy of his that has changed.

How about:

President Bush(2001):

“You’re either on our side or the terrorists’ side”.


44 posted on 07/13/2007 5:50:10 AM PDT by Diogenesis (Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
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To: Diogenesis

Unlike most of you calling yourselves conservatives here on FR (I have been told and DO believe that most of you are simply DUmmie plants with internet longevity), Bush IS the one fighting terrorism.

So again. What policy of Bush’s has changed?


45 posted on 07/13/2007 5:51:53 AM PDT by laurie_d
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To: laurie_d

OK, you win. He never intended to protect the border, even after 9/11. You win, I was wrong to vote for him twice. You win, us conservatives are all knuckle-dragging throwbacks. You win - I’ll cast my vote for my congresscritter, who has proven himself to be a true conservative. You Bushbots disgust me. THINK.


46 posted on 07/13/2007 5:52:05 AM PDT by tgusa (Gun control: deep breath, sight alignment, squeeze the trigger .....)
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Comment #47 Removed by Moderator

To: Sloth

It’s the old “My party/prez, right or wrong” nonsense. I’m loyal to my country not some politician.


48 posted on 07/13/2007 5:53:25 AM PDT by Scotsman will be Free (11C - Indirect fire, infantry - High angle hell - We will bring you, FIRE)
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To: laurie_d
[.. What I suspect is one of two things. Those of you bashing Bush just don’t have the guts to actually stand up to the media and liberals who are interchangeable, or you were never Bush voters in the first place. ..]

You have a point.. I'm not too smart.. I voted for Bush Sr., Bush Jr. and his brother in Florida multiple times..

By the way what does "I'm a Unite'er NOT a Divide'er" MEAN???..
The boy has been unite'in with democrats since the year 2000...
You know, like his daddy..

49 posted on 07/13/2007 5:53:33 AM PDT by hosepipe (CAUTION: This propaganda is laced with hyperbole....)
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To: azhenfud

That’s President Bush to you, not Bush


50 posted on 07/13/2007 5:55:17 AM PDT by Kaslin (Fred Thompson for President 2008)
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To: Kaslin

Gallagher has this backwards.

The President abandoned us, it was a disasterous decision, and now after the Amnesty insanity, he wants us ‘back’.

To late.


51 posted on 07/13/2007 5:55:32 AM PDT by Badeye (You know its a kook site when they ban the word 'kook')
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To: Kaslin
I won't stop my support for the war on terror, but if Bush pushes for things that are bad for the country, I will not support him in that.

The RINOs in Congress that are no longer supporting the war on terror were never really genuine supporters of it in the first place. Supporting it was a political expediency just as it was for many Democrats.

Bush is blatantly failing to fill his duties as the head of the executive branch by refusing to do more than token enforcement of our immigration laws, and by effectively inhibiting the enforcement of many of them.

On the other hand he is doing a much better job at fulfilling his duties as Commander in Chief in prosecuting the war on terror, and I support him in that in as much as he is working to protect us.

I will not offer continued, blind support for this or any other President. I am hoping that the next elections will put a President in office that will faithfully enforce our immigration laws and faithfully prosecute the war on terror. I have had enough of Bush's compassionate conservatism.

While I believe that Bush is in general a good man, he has sacrificed his integrity for his particular ideals about illegal immigration and other social issues. He is failing to execute the laws that Congress has passed. He has either blinded himself to reality, or is being extremely dishonest about the immigration laws he is supporting.

I appreciate a great many things that Bush has done for this country, but he has also done a great many things wrong. No man is perfect, but I think we need a different, if still person, in that office that will secure our borders as well as fight to keep us secure from terrorists abroad.

52 posted on 07/13/2007 5:57:08 AM PDT by untrained skeptic
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To: xzins

Gallegher is so wrong on this; FIRST of all, Byron York did not say conservatives should throw Bush under a bus. All York said was the same things here: That Bush has abandoned the GOP base on many things and has failed to act like a conservative, so therefore, conservatives are naturally going to look elsewhere.


53 posted on 07/13/2007 5:58:50 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: Kaslin

Bush tried to give the country away to 20+ million illegals in an act that would have effectively eliminated our sovereignty.

He ought to be thrown out of office for dereliction of duty.


54 posted on 07/13/2007 5:59:34 AM PDT by Anonymous Rex ( For Rent)
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To: Badeye
Fool me once...

The President tossed his base aside like used toilet paper. I feel no loyalty to this man. If he would LEARN to really listen to others' opinions and build the damn fence he was supposed to and start defending our country from these illegal invaders, I could get past his initially trying to jam shamnesty down our collective throats. But, he is too stubborn, so I don't really see him doing anything but trying again.

55 posted on 07/13/2007 6:00:46 AM PDT by Heartland Mom (Build the fence, secure our borders, deport illegals - Protect our sovereignty!)
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To: tgusa

Cute.

But you didn’t answer the question.


56 posted on 07/13/2007 6:02:19 AM PDT by laurie_d
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To: hosepipe

hosepipe,

Name the policy of President Bush that changed? Specifics, please.


57 posted on 07/13/2007 6:02:59 AM PDT by laurie_d
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To: DevSix
Did you excuse R.R of losing our large majority in the Senate in 86 because he "wasn't a leader" or a "true conservative".

When RR took office in 1981, the Reps held the Senate 53-46-1 and the Dems held the House 242-192-1. When he left office the Dems held the Senate 55-45 and the House 258-177.

When GWB took office in 2001, the Reps held the Senate 50-50 [until the Jeffords defection] and the House 221-212. When he leaves office the Dems will hold both the Senate and the House.

The Rep majority in the Senate under Reagan never exceeded 8 and prior to the 1986 election, it was just six. GWB enjoyed a 55-44-1 majority in the Senate in the 109th Congress and a 231-202-1-1 majority in the House. Reagan never had such control over Congress.

58 posted on 07/13/2007 6:03:06 AM PDT by kabar
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To: Kaslin

After Hillary wins, we will be PRAYING for the days of Bush. He IS a good and decent Christian....and he right on the war...he just needs to stop listening to the lawyers and klet the military do the fighting.


59 posted on 07/13/2007 6:03:17 AM PDT by Suzy Quzy (Hillary in '08.....Her PHONINESS is GENUINE !!!!)
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To: Anonymous Rex

“He ought to be thrown out of office for dereliction of duty.”

****

And I guess you’re going to join in with the impeach Bush/Cheney crowd too.

Like those folks, you don’t have a legal argument to stand on.


60 posted on 07/13/2007 6:03:55 AM PDT by fatnotlazy
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