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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: Deb
The Sundance Channel is showing a movie without any gays in it whatsoever. It's notable but boring.
601 posted on 06/18/2003 9:43:17 PM PDT by nunya bidness (It's not an assault weapon, it's a Homeland Defense Rifle.)
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To: nunya bidness
Is that a joke? Right now on my Sundance Channel they're showing "Priest". One of the more disgusting anti-Catholic, pro-gay flix to come out of Hollywood...although I know they're not done yet.
602 posted on 06/18/2003 9:54:06 PM PDT by Deb (Stop staring at my tag.)
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To: nunya bidness
Is that a joke? Right now on my Sundance Channel they're showing "Priest". One of the more disgusting anti-Catholic, pro-gay flix to come out of Hollywood...although I know they're not done yet.
603 posted on 06/18/2003 9:55:25 PM PDT by Deb (Stop staring at my tag.)
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To: Fred Mertz
My favorite things about Costa Rica are all the people named Hans Gonzales and Gunter Martinez etc.

If they needed a sarcastic, bitchy comedy writer, I'd move there in a second. It's gorgeous.

604 posted on 06/18/2003 9:59:42 PM PDT by Deb (Stop staring at my tag.)
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To: Deb
Made you look. I'm trying to find Battlebots.

Shame on you for watching that disgusting, anti-family, pro-homosexual, non-union channel.

605 posted on 06/18/2003 10:02:56 PM PDT by nunya bidness (It's not an assault weapon, it's a Homeland Defense Rifle.)
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To: Consort
What do you suggest conservatives say in these letters? How about something like this?

Dear Mr. President:

Please stop governing like a Democrat.

Of course, if you don’t, we will still keep sending you money, keep working the phones handing out fliers, putting out yard signs, and demonstrate for you if they try to steal the election again. And it goes without saying we will vote for you no matter what you do.

Thank you,

SUSSA

Do you think that will turn him around?
606 posted on 06/18/2003 10:03:41 PM PDT by SUSSA
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To: nunya bidness
The girls like it. Sometimes they show naked dogs.
607 posted on 06/18/2003 10:07:32 PM PDT by Deb (Stop staring at my tag.)
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To: nunya bidness
The girls like it. Sometimes they show naked dogs.
608 posted on 06/18/2003 10:08:41 PM PDT by Deb (Stop staring at my tag.)
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To: SUSSA
That was good.

Have you started a FReep Bush Thread yet? We need one here because Bush needs a freeping but GOOD!
609 posted on 06/18/2003 10:09:15 PM PDT by TLBSHOW (the gift is to see the truth)
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To: SUSSA
Please stop governing like a Democrat.

If you really don't like Democrats, then don't ever do anything that can put them in control. Send your letter.

610 posted on 06/18/2003 10:12:01 PM PDT by Consort
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To: TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
did you read this thread of truth of what Bush is spinning for us all. It is called Socialism the Bush way.
611 posted on 06/18/2003 10:12:05 PM PDT by TLBSHOW (the gift is to see the truth)
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To: Consort
So you think that will work? That's your idea of working to advance a conservative agenda?
612 posted on 06/18/2003 10:14:42 PM PDT by SUSSA
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To: TLBSHOW
Go FReep yourself.
613 posted on 06/18/2003 10:18:45 PM PDT by Deb (Stop staring at my tag.)
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To: SUSSA

614 posted on 06/18/2003 10:21:28 PM PDT by cartoonistx
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To: cartoonistx
Very good! That's nice work. Is that your work?
615 posted on 06/18/2003 10:24:24 PM PDT by SUSSA
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To: Deb
I normally have to Freep solo no big deal. At least we know you support socialism if you support the Bush agenda on the socail issues. Stand and be counted as one of the duped.
616 posted on 06/18/2003 10:25:57 PM PDT by TLBSHOW (the gift is to see the truth)
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To: SUSSA
Yes, although not my best. I only had an hour to do it today. Visit my stuff at www.dailybulletin.com if you'd like.
617 posted on 06/18/2003 10:29:08 PM PDT by cartoonistx
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To: cartoonistx
Thanks, I will.
618 posted on 06/18/2003 10:30:01 PM PDT by SUSSA
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To: TLBSHOW
What social issues, you fruit loop?

You wouldn't know a "Socialist" if one peed on your shoe. And the more you and your fellow brain donors throw that word around, the more ignorant you sound.

619 posted on 06/18/2003 10:36:02 PM PDT by Deb (Stop staring at my tag.)
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To: SUSSA
So you think that will work? That's your idea of working to advance a conservative agenda?

If the Conservatives make up the majority of the party, then, yes, it will work faster than if they are not in the majority. Like any other endeavor, it takes an effort and you have to stick with it. If you run and hide, you get nothing. The GOP is still more Conservative than the Democrat Party.

620 posted on 06/18/2003 10:37:18 PM PDT by Consort
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