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Bush boxed in his congressional foes
Los Angeles Times ^ | Dec. 21, 2007 | Janet Hook

Posted on 12/22/2007 10:32:29 AM PST by FocusNexus

Just over a year ago, a chastened President Bush acknowledged that his party had taken a "thumping" in the congressional elections, and he greeted the new Democratic majority at the weakest point of his presidency.

But since then, Democrats in Congress have taken a thumping of their own as Bush has curbed their budget demands, blocked a cherished children's health initiative, stalled the drive to withdraw troops from Iraq and stymied all efforts to raise taxes.

Rather than turn tail for his last two years in the White House, Bush has used every remaining weapon in his depleted arsenal -- the veto, executive orders, the loyalty of Republicans in Congress -- to keep Democrats from getting their way.He has struck a combative pose, dashing hopes that he would be more accommodating in the wake of his party's drubbing in the 2006 midterm voting.

But on a host of foreign and domestic policy issues, backed by a remarkably disciplined Republican Party in the House and Senate, Bush has been able to confound Democrats. It has been a source of great frustration to the party that came to power with sky-high expectations and the belief it had a mandate for change. And it is a vivid reminder of how much clout even a weakened president can have -- especially one as single-minded as Bush.

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


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 110th; 2007review; bush; congress; lameduck; pelosi; reid; term2
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Good for Bush and the Republicans in Congress.

They are standing between us and the disaster the Democrats want to create for us.

Just imagine if we end up with a Democrat president in 2008 -- we must stop that.

1 posted on 12/22/2007 10:32:30 AM PST by FocusNexus
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To: FocusNexus

Bush is turning out to be a pretty good president. The way he stood fast on Iraq against such political pressure is amazing.


2 posted on 12/22/2007 10:40:29 AM PST by Fido969 ("The hardest thing in the world to understand is income tax." - Albert Einstein)
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To: FocusNexus

Every Democrat in leadership and in their nominating process is a pacifist socialist. Unless Pubs unite in all elections, Prez, House and Senate , we can expect the inane populist voters to think CHANGE is just good, no matter to what. And that what would be Socialism and defeat.


3 posted on 12/22/2007 10:44:59 AM PST by phillyfanatic
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To: FocusNexus
Just imagine if we end up with a Democrat president in 2008 -- we must stop that.

There are many ...here ...that don't see that as a problem.

4 posted on 12/22/2007 10:54:26 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
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To: Fido969
Former Massachusetts governor Michael S. Dukakis was at Kansas Univ on CSPAN stating that Bush was the worst President EVER....turned off the TV on that statement.
5 posted on 12/22/2007 10:57:48 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
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To: Fido969
Bush is turning out to be a pretty good president.

He's been an excellent POTUS all along.

The single agenda whiners are the only one's who think otherwise.

6 posted on 12/22/2007 11:00:17 AM PST by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
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To: FocusNexus

Build the damn border fence.


7 posted on 12/22/2007 11:03:41 AM PST by Sig Sauer P220
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To: All

The phrasing is so telling.

” . . . especially one as single minded . . .”

Why not:

” . . . especially one as resolute . . . “


8 posted on 12/22/2007 11:11:16 AM PST by Owen
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
While I don't want to see a Democrat as president, either, this article does show that sometimes Democrats are less dangerous to conservatism than unprincipled Republicans. After all, who here doesn't wish the President had "boxed in" the Republican Congress on a spending item or 20?

That's not to say that Congress and the White House back in Democrat hands wouldn't be a disaster, but it's good to keep things in perspective.
9 posted on 12/22/2007 11:15:58 AM PST by The Pack Knight (Duty, Honor, Country.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
"Just imagine if we end up with a Democrat president in 2008 -- we must stop that."

There are many ...here ...that don't see that as a problem.

That is ominously true.

10 posted on 12/22/2007 11:16:01 AM PST by outofstyle (My Ride's Here)
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To: Fido969

W has always been a good president.

Full Metal Jacket: He has guts and guts is enough.


11 posted on 12/22/2007 11:25:44 AM PST by y6162
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To: The Pack Knight

“Democrats are less dangerous to conservatism than unprincipled Republicans.”

How about being dangerous to the country and our very lives?!

Carter’s one term was a disaster not only for the economy, but with his do-gooder attitude he allowed radical Islam to rise in Iran. Just imagine what Hillary or any of the current Dem candidates would do to the country, aided with a Dem Congress — not to mention the judges they will nominate, impacting the country for the next 100 years.


12 posted on 12/22/2007 11:27:07 AM PST by FocusNexus
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To: Sig Sauer P220

By squawking “Build the damn border fence” at least YOU are doing your part.

BTW.. There is a thread somewhere on that Spears girl that could use some of your essential hijacking. Go get ‘em, tiger.


13 posted on 12/22/2007 11:28:04 AM PST by Sunny Poipu (Somebody else in Sunny Poipu for a while.)
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To: FocusNexus
Did you read my entire post? I did say I didn't want a Democrat President, and I did say that a Democrat Congress and White House would be a disaster.

Relax. I'll do everything I can to make sure the Republican nominee becomes President, regardless of who it is. I'll also do everything I can to make sure we don't have a President or Congress that continue the farce of "compassionate conservatism" we had to suffer through for 6 years.

Besides the damage it does to the country, it also paves the way for more elections like 2006.
14 posted on 12/22/2007 11:35:37 AM PST by The Pack Knight (Duty, Honor, Country.)
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To: FocusNexus
All during President Bush’s term I’ve watched the democrats behave in way’s that I never dreamed I’d see full grown men and women behave.

They’ve acted like a bunch of spoiled brats. It’s a wonder they didn’t all get down on the floor kicking and screaming until they got their way.

We needed a strong minded man with the backbone to stand up to them. I hate to think what might have happened if it weren’t for President Bush cooling their heels.

15 posted on 12/22/2007 11:35:49 AM PST by GloriaJane (http://www.download.com/gloriajane)
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To: FocusNexus

Yeah, it’s funny how avid Bush haters invariably classify him as an idiot of the simian persuasion, only to end up a short time later on their back in the ditch, wondering what happened to them.

They consistently mis-underestimate him, to the general amusement of his supporters.

Too bad he left his original modest foreign policy and became a Wilsonian “nation builder”. We’ll be paying for that longer than World War I (another “nation building” fiasco that we have yet to recover from).

But Bush wasn’t the innovator here, much as his hateful detractors would like to pin it on him. This crap has been SOP from Wilson to now. Some day we will figure it out. Hopefully before it’s too late. The crop of aspirants to replace him show no signs of being much different in this respect either, with the exception of one who has no plausible shot at grabbing the brass ring. Too bad.


16 posted on 12/22/2007 11:37:30 AM PST by Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek
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To: FocusNexus
Image hosted by Photobucket.com it's called poker... and the RATS aren't smart enough to play at Bush's level.
17 posted on 12/22/2007 11:48:02 AM PST by Chode (American Hedonist)
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To: Sunny Poipu

As good as this president has been, he has been just as bad on border security. It is a point most of us has noted.


18 posted on 12/22/2007 12:06:53 PM PST by WesternPacific
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To: FocusNexus

Democrats Commit Suicide by Bush.

I love it when a plan come together!!


19 posted on 12/22/2007 12:14:25 PM PST by Gator113 (My short list..Fred, Hunter, Romney.)
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To: WesternPacific
As good as this president has been, he has been just as bad on border security. It is a point most of us has noted.

True. This author is noting the ways in which he stymied Congress 'rats, not that what he did was "good." Areas in which Bush colluded with the 'rats, like the border fiasco, are left without comment.

20 posted on 12/22/2007 12:17:22 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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