Posted on 04/03/2010 9:14:23 AM PDT by Zakeet
From William F. Buckley Jr. to Barry Goldwater to Ronald Reagan, the creators of the modern conservative movement always taught that excessive concentration of power in government leads inevitably to corruption and the diminution of personal freedoms. But while Rove credits these leaders for shaping his early political views -- ... he did not pursue their values while in the White House. To the contrary, as the chief political architect of the Bush presidency, Rove was instrumental in directing an administration most notable for its enormous expansion of national government.
[Snip]
The truly unique aspects of Bush and Rove's compassionate conservatism were in the arenas of education and entitlements. The goals of Bush's No Child Left Behind education initiative were certainly worthy, but its trampling of states' rights sounded early alarms for traditional conservatives. And Bush's market-oriented proposals for Social Security reform notwithstanding, the Medicare prescription drug benefit the president signed into law in 2003 has created an unfunded liability of $9.4 trillion over the next 75 years, according to the 2009 report from the Medicare trustees. This is far beyond what the White House estimated would be saved with Social Security reform, and the first new major entitlement since the days of Lyndon Johnson.
[Snip]
In his memoir, Rove defends the Bush record as a truly conservative one. ... "Just look at his tax cuts, pro-life and pro-family stands; his support of free trade and reducing regulation; his belief that competition improves health care, the environment and Social Security; and his insistence on education results."
But the results speak otherwise. In total, Bush increased federal spending on domestic programs more than any president since Richard Nixon, easily surpassing Bill Clinton, Carter and his own father, so much so that by 2008, America had two big-government parties.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
But the alliance between Money and Main Street is so uneasy, and it so often takes the form of Money basically blackmailing Main Street like they did in 1980: Put our guy Bush on the bottom of the ticket and give him all kinds of patronage nod and White House staff jobs (so we can control your calendar), or we'll do what we did for Barry in '64: stiff you on political money and give the big papers lots of negative quotes to work with while they ride your guy down.
Bush is a Rockefeller Republican, so is Karl Rove. Rockefeller Republican means RINO. Bushes repeatedly told that “the era of Reagan is over”. Bush’s reckless policies paved a way to Obama’s socialist policies. Of course, Zero would implement his policies any way, but he had chance to bleme Bush. The only one thing about Bush is that he is a patriot and he definetely likes this country. The same cannot be said about Zero.
But Old Money's wisdom is checked in at the door of government while it seeks gov't for a competitive edge or favorable market conditions. Big business is a huge political problem because it exacerbates and encourages big government, Americas greatest political threat. However, the push Old Money and Big Business gives to Big Government would be stopped at the 10th Amendment of the Constitution. The key is integrity especially in government. (HA!) Business just goes where the profits and competitive edge are.
The leverage in the nasty relationship between Big Business and government is that government is limited by the Constitution. Business then would have to look elsewhere (where they should) for their competitive edge. The answer is never regulating business and the free market but forcing politicians to abide by the Constitution. Otherwise we have a commensurate bigger and more threatening government.
... and he wants brown people to do the stoop labor that he doesn’t want his own son to do. He doesn’t like brown people very much, apparently.
“If Rove really said that, then F* him. He’s a pantywaist elitist chicken sh*t”
Thanks. I didn’t double source that quote. Kirkorian is usually a pretty good source. But I should have double checked. There are other reports of this and I can’t find any denial of it by Rove.
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Rove_on_immigration_I_dont_want_0209.html
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/02/white_house_red.html
Rotten Tomatoes for Karl Rove
01:22 - 3 years ago
Discusses the Karl Rove statement “I don’t want my 17-year-old son to have to pick tomatoes or make beds in Las Vegas” and the response from some Democrats to the Bush amnesty for illegal aliens plan.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7886818289558727325#
He's an Episcopalian. He attends Church every week. Attended Bible study meetings in the White House once a week in the Bush administration too.
But the 10th Amendment was rendered a dead letter, or very nearly (it's been on life support, and then only by the solicitude of e.g. the late CJ Wm. Rehnquist and AJ's Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia), by the outcome of the Civil War, in which the federal government conquered the States (including those that fought on the Union side).
State have continuously lost prestige and ability to resist unconsitutional impositions on them ever since; Clinton tried to dragoon them with his crime bill in 1994 but lost in the Supreme Court; but here is Obama, back at it, imposing unfunded mandates on the States. And George W. Bush's escutcheon on this account isn't completely clean, eiher, e.g. his No Child Left Behind Act. N/W/S his apologists' claim that he and Karl Rove were setting constitutional "backfires" to try to contain damage about to be done by the Democrats, nevertheless Bush's signature appears on the legislation, robbing the States of a federal champion they should have had.
Its fairly well documented that W was no friend of the Constitution. In that sense he was no a friend of America. There are enough people around who don’t consider the Constitution dead letter - a whole bunch of states are getting ready to assert their constitutionally protected states rights. Maybe this is where the showdown is. Somewhere the line has to be drawn, or else the U.S. disappears into the sunset.
What kind of conservative is he?
##
Hes a pseudo conservative like Boy Bush.
What an UNSURPRISE.
I’ll stop there.
Wouldn’t want to be accused of trying to tarnish the halo of the anointed consultant.
Yeah, I agree.... If DJ doesn’t beat him in the primary, and McCain wins re-election ( Oh the huge Manatee), maybe Sarah will be able to get a collar on his neck, and yank his chain often enought, that he’ll stay in line....LOLOLOLOL....Sometimes I think that Her campaigning for him may be the way she makes sure that collar goes on tightly....so he can’t do to her what he did to Bush.
(She won’t have to do that with JD)
“Its fairly well documented that W was no friend of the Constitution.”
Other than the Dems consantly throwing mud at Bush, and screaming about lost rights because he treated Terrorists as they should be treated....could you give us some “well documented examples?”
My College Football coach never told me to let the opposing team control the ball as a good way of winning the game....
This KARL ROVE character was one of the PRIME MOVERS for not only not getting our Southern borders under control throughout much of the 2000s, but moving forward with this Comprehensive Immigration Amnesty Reform Bullshit (which Bush tried and got stopped twice on), or "regularization" teamed with the Democrats and sellout Republicans like Graham and McCain. Rove will NEVER be forgiven in my book, nor will be ever be considered a *Conservative* around OUR dinner table at our house.
The liberals hated him. Score one for Bush.
Bush went after the Isalmoterroists with a vengeance and set them back on their heels. Never heard from them again on our soil after 911, 911 being attributable mostly to Clinton's showing in the 90's of the typical liberal double-minded weakness inviting attack. Score another for Bush.
He was consistently a moral force against abortion, embryo stem-cell research, and the like, and a Christian influence for good in his openly holding Jesus as Lord.
His judicial appointments were a bulwark against constant judicial activism.
So militarily, morally, spiritually, and judicially, he scored.
Where failed IMO and proved to be no friend of the Constitution was politically and economically. Unfortunately, in those areas he was his fathers son. You dont need me to tell you about his historic growth in government spending and growth, creating things like no child left behind without any constitutional authority to do so. The Homeland Security Act ran roughshod over constitutional rights in the name of security. But as Judge Napolitano points out, thats an agreement with the devil. If today you allow your constitutional rights to be stripped in the name of benevolence, youre leaving the door open for a tyrant later (now?) to seal the deal. This criticism is coming from an independent conservative (myself and others like me). I couldnt care less what the idiot liberals say. But Bushs distain for the Constitution (hes been quoted as saying essentially its a worthless piece of paper and his actions backed that up) in his domestic policies and unconstitutional growth of government hurt our country.
Rove is a Republican party hack. Obviously they want big government as well. Why wouldn’t they, if it will give them more power? Power equals profit and profit is the point where the two big government parties meet at the top and shake hands.
The Homeland Security Act
The Patriot Act
Thank you, for being a voice of sanity in a swamp of rightwing nutters.
He's an executive branch conservative -- who want to preserve the prerogatives of the President. Same as Nixon or Cheney.
Most political operative have no core beliefs, they just play the role they believe will obtain maximum power, if it’s playing a conservative, fine, if it’s playing a liberal, fine.
Rove just chose to play the role of a Conservative, it could have easily gone the other way.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.