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Bush Presidency is Advancing the Progressive Agenda
Sierra Times ^ | 6-17-03 | John Bender

Posted on 06/17/2003 5:07:22 AM PDT by SUSSA

Democrats may be worried that George Bush is unbeatable in 2004, but President Bush’s strength is good news for progressives. No president since LBJ has been as successful in expanding government and increasing the size and scope of social programs as this president. Presidents Carter and Clinton didn’t even come close to matching President Bush’s accomplishments in expanding government social programs. George Bush increased government size and spending more in his first two years than Bill Clinton did in his first six years. By the end of this year, he will have expanded government more than Bill Clinton did in his entire eight-year administration.

To be fair, Bill Clinton had to fight the conservatives in Congress who threw up every roadblock they could muster to thwart his progressive agenda. George Bush has not only silenced the conservative wing of the Republican Party, he has ground them into pulp and made them toothless tigers.

There is no longer any serious talk about making government smaller or eliminating government departments or programs. Smaller government used to be the bedrock principal of the Republican Party. President Bush changed that and is pushing Republicans in Congress not just to accept bigger government, but to embrace it.

Instead of eliminating the Education Department, George Bush almost doubled its size and pushed through the largest increase in funding the department ever enjoyed. He and Ted Kennedy worked closely together to make sure that the federal government also has more power over local schools than ever before.

The testing mandated by the education bill, and the mandate that schools meet minimum standards is a brilliant maneuver that will demand the standards and the tests be controlled centrally from Washington. No one will be able to oppose national standards and a national testing system. Without national standards, testing is subjective and worthless. National standards and a standardized national test will require local schools teach to the test. That means Washington will be dictating the curriculum in every school in America. Bill Clinton and Al Gore couldn’t even dream of accomplishing this much progress.

In other areas President Bush also out performed President Clinton. He expanded other programs the Contract With America targeted for elimination. He expanded Americorps, the Peace Corps, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Head Start.

Working closely with progressive Republicans and Democrats, George Bush passed the farm bill that dismantled the Freedom to Farm Act that conservative Republicans pushed through Congress, and President Clinton signed, in 1996. This new legislation boosts farm spending to record levels. President Bush’s farm bill not only increased old subsidies, it created new subsidies our farmers never had before. No Democrat president could have pushed this legislation through a Republican controlled Congress. The conservative wing of the party still holds some powerful positions in Congress, especially in the House. They were proud of the Freedom to Farm Act and would have fought tooth and nail with a Democrat president to keep it in place. They caved in to President Bush without even a hint of a fight. President Bush effectively cut the conservatives in Congress off at the knees on this legislation and on most of their domestic agenda. He rules the Republican Party with an iron fist and conservatives are unable to out maneuver him.

President Bush signed the Campaign Finance Reform bill into law. Conservative Republicans in Congress are still quietly seething about how he steamrollered them on this. President Bush is also leading the fight to expand Medicare, add prescription drug coverage and mandate mental health coverage. Conservatives kept Presidents Carter and Clinton from adding these entitlements to Medicare. With President Bush pushing the agenda, they aren’t even pretending to oppose these additions.

The president is also leading the fight to extend the child tax credit to low income families excluded from the latest tax cut. He figuratively bitch-slapped Tom Delay and his conservative cohorts who threatened to derail the expanded credit, urging the Republicans to pass the bill quickly and send it to him for his signature. While progressive Republicans like to claim President Bush is following President Reagan’s vision for America, he is actually following President Nixon’s agenda to the letter. President Nixon never tried to eliminate any government program or agency. He expanded government as much as he could. Few people remember that it was President Nixon who created the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Endowment for the Arts. Fewer still remember that it was President Nixon who tied Social Security benefits to the cost of living. President Bush is surpassing President Nixon in advancing progressive social policy.

President Bush is also making talk radio safe for progressives. Hosts who would have railed against President Clinton, or any Democrat, for pushing the progressive agenda President Bush is implementing, excuse this president for it. Many of them attack any conservative who calls to point out that President Bush is a progressive. Even Rush Limbaugh is leery of taking on this president. While he occasionally offers some mild criticism of the president, he always follows that criticism by offering excuses for the president’s actions and progressive domestic agenda. This is partially due to the attacks that come from the Bush cultists any time anyone is anything but worshipful of their guy. Like Democrats who refused to believe that President Clinton was capable of doing any wrong, there is a group of Republicans who would support President Bush no matter how far left he governs. They attack anyone and any group who points out that President Bush is not conservative. Many of these people are domestic progressives who like big government and benefit from government programs. They call themselves conservatives; many of them really think they are conservatives. In fact, they support progressive social programs and most benefit from them. They are critical of the poor who receive government help, but enjoy generous government subsidies of their own lifestyles. Many talk show hosts fall into this category themselves.

The other reason even real conservatives are leery of voicing anything except the mildest criticism of President Bush is they fear retaliation from the administration. They fear being cut off from the information loop. They fear being dropped from the administration’s fax and E-mail grapevine. Their professional status is greatly enhanced by access to administration sources and President Bush is not shy about diminishing or eliminating that access for anyone who puts their principals ahead of support for his agenda.

All things considered, progressives are much better off with President Bush in office than they would be with any of his Democrat challengers. No Democrat on the scene today can come close to matching President Bush’s ability to advance the progressive agenda and marginalize the conservatives in the Republican Party. Four more years of a Bush administration will produce progressive gains that are only matched by FDR’s accomplishments. Rather than being disappointed that they don’t have a Democrat in the presidency, progressives should be thankful they have an ideological soul mate in office. For progressives the cry should be “FOUR MORE YEARS!”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Bender is a freelance writer from Dallas, Texas. His columns have appeared in The Dallas Morning News, Ether Zone, Right Magazine, The Sierra Times, USA Daily and other print and online publications. Your feedback is welcome.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bush; bushdoctrine; politics
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To: Dane
are you really really sure Rush said that? I mean Howlin wrote it...lol
361 posted on 06/17/2003 12:46:31 PM PDT by TLBSHOW
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To: Sir Gawain
Who is an ELECTABLE candidate that you will support in 2004?
362 posted on 06/17/2003 12:47:18 PM PDT by justshe
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To: dsutah
You know, I think I stumbled into a colony of pure Bush hate.

I don't hate Bush.
I just don't like the stuff he is doing.

363 posted on 06/17/2003 12:47:25 PM PDT by carenot
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To: carenot
Thats the spirit, you can't beat em then just put your hand out.

364 posted on 06/17/2003 12:48:10 PM PDT by TLBSHOW
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To: Consort
The Conservative RINO Clinton enablers did just that in '92. We really showed Bush 41, didn't we? He'll never fool us again. No way. We threw him out on his ass and replaced him with...............

I am realist enough to understand the vote is a defensive tool at best in the kind of election we will be facing in '04. I actually have a nuber of options I can work activly for GWB's election or I can just vote for him or I can stay home or I can vote for someone else. if I make an honest evaluation that continuing with GWB would be counter productive then am I supposed to vote for him just to keep a Dim out of office when I may view the election of the RAT as possibly so bad that it will mobilize an active resistance taht will forever rid us of traitors. These are quandrys to which I do not have answers yet. If enough people yell at me or others who are facing this quandry then some of us will get stubborn enough we may even vote against Bush no matter who is running.

I would state unequivocally that the measure of your commitment of how much you actually value GWB in office is found in the politeness and reasonableness you show towards those questioning his record who may have voted for him in the past. Alienating people does not do your candidate a service.

365 posted on 06/17/2003 12:49:17 PM PDT by harpseal (Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown)
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To: Cultural Jihad
What happened, did you get tired of the moderators ignoring you so now you have to bother JR?
366 posted on 06/17/2003 12:49:43 PM PDT by jmc813 (After two years of FReeping, I've finally created a profile page. Check it out!)
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To: sauropod
Who is an ELECTABLE candidate you will support in 2004?
367 posted on 06/17/2003 12:50:09 PM PDT by justshe
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To: carenot
I don't hate Bush.
I just don't like the stuff he is doing.

You'll love whoever replaces him if he loses.
You'll the stuff they do.

368 posted on 06/17/2003 12:50:57 PM PDT by Consort
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To: G.Mason
Thank you very much for the quote. Having grown up in the 50's/60's as a child I recall seeing abundance leading to selfishness. I recall rude people at the gas lines and stolen fuel.

In the 80's my neighbors in Annapolis would discuss politics over Friday night cocktails. I always fought for what I felt was right when it came to self reliance and independance. Others were apathetic and knew where we were headed.

Today there seems to be less people engaged in spiritual faith and courage in lieu of immediate gratification.

Keep the faith. Thanks for your encouragement.
369 posted on 06/17/2003 12:51:23 PM PDT by gathersnomoss
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To: Sir Gawain
Do me a favor? Ping me when a Bot answers any of what you just posted.
370 posted on 06/17/2003 12:53:09 PM PDT by Sparta (Tagline removed by moderator)
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To: Consort
from this question to you..

Which person was negative, and which person was uplifting?

Over Rush or Bush

I say Rush was uplifting because he is going to open lots of eyes to the truth. Like say 20 to 30 million people. Don't forget Rush is a spokesperson for the conservative side on the radio in America...

You see bottom line is this

80 percent support this socialist plan of the Rats and that means an overlap onto FR that support it too.

Shameful and why eyes need opening.
371 posted on 06/17/2003 12:57:06 PM PDT by TLBSHOW
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To: harpseal
Alienating people does not do your candidate a service.

Wow, is that a lesson some of the usual suspects on these threads could stand to learn...

Watch yer top knot!

372 posted on 06/17/2003 12:57:23 PM PDT by MileHi
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To: sauropod
You shouldn't do that to liberals. They can't handle it. Nasty boy!
373 posted on 06/17/2003 12:58:17 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: justshe
Who is an ELECTABLE candidate you will support in 2004?



No office holding member of the gop will cross the line and challenge Bush in the primaries. It would be suicide. BushCo is too powerful.

Any goper who comes off the bench will be crushed with soft money.

So there is no alternative for an idealistic freedom loving American.

I'm voting for RON PAUL in 2004.
374 posted on 06/17/2003 12:58:38 PM PDT by WhiteGuy (MY VOTE IS FOR SALE)
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To: Sparta
He didn't include $15 Billion for AIDS suppression in Africa. We can certainly afford this, can't we?
375 posted on 06/17/2003 12:58:52 PM PDT by A Vast RightWing Conspirator
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To: sauropod
I didn't refer to you as that at all! You didn't read it closely. I merely said that a lot of people on that thread, without me mentioning any names, seemed to sound like those on DU! Many of them did. I didn't mention names; as there were quite a few on that thread! However, many of you seemed to take pleasure in referring to us that support him as socialists, and therefore damaging to the country. And that's not cool either, isn't it?

I believe I said that there was nothing wrong with being mad at the Pres. for something or another. But these poisonous accusations aimed at him for things he hasn't done, and trashing those of us who support and defend him for that reason, are also trashed. If many of his critics can sit and make these ugly comments about him; those who support him, and defend him have as much of a right to defend him, don't we?
376 posted on 06/17/2003 12:59:24 PM PDT by dsutah
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To: TomServo
No biggie - I've seen so many from well - you know who - that I think I've forgotten basic spelling and grammar.

You forgot?
Y'all are a lot smarter than me!
But that ain't sayin' much. :(

377 posted on 06/17/2003 1:00:13 PM PDT by carenot
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To: WhiteGuy
I'm voting for RON PAUL in 2004.

Is he running as an Independent, or are you going to write him in?

378 posted on 06/17/2003 1:00:16 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: A Vast RightWing Conspirator

He didn't include $15 Billion for AIDS suppression in Africa. We can certainly afford this, can't we?

Sure we can. After all, it's the government's money, not ours. (sarcasm)

379 posted on 06/17/2003 1:01:25 PM PDT by Sparta (Tagline removed by moderator)
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To: Mr. Mojo
Does it really matter?
380 posted on 06/17/2003 1:01:55 PM PDT by WhiteGuy (MY VOTE IS FOR SALE)
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