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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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Comment #81 Removed by Moderator

To: arasina
and the only way to do that is We ALL at FR FREEP the

BUSH

WHITE HOUSE BUT GOOD.........

It is long over due because of the bushbots here at FR, who have done FAR FAR more damge to this site and country than they will ever know,
82 posted on 06/17/2003 7:07:42 AM PDT by TLBSHOW
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To: SUSSA
You could be correct, that Bush will move these bureaucrats to other jobs; however, I have seen no indication of that. Instead, Bush is seeking executive power to fire bureaucrats, another good move. I can't imagine Bush firing 800,000 bureaucrats on Monday morning, but he could sure damage the bureaucratic culture through targetted firings over a period of time.
83 posted on 06/17/2003 7:08:07 AM PDT by sergeantdave
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To: arasina
I'm curious. Who would you like to see as President of The United States? Which candidate, in particular, would you support in 2004 to replace George W. Bush?

At this time... just about anyone. And if the GOP re-nominates him I will do exactly what I did in 2000. Hopefully more will do the same and stop being W's or GOP's bitches.

84 posted on 06/17/2003 7:08:20 AM PDT by A Vast RightWing Conspirator
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To: TomServo
Because he held that socialist, ratty-rat, demorat, no-good stalinists "feet-to-the-fire" - but GOOD!

That is a fact thanks for posting the truth!
85 posted on 06/17/2003 7:08:56 AM PDT by TLBSHOW
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To: TLBSHOW
ActionNewsBill asked you for facts and you run?

Well Todd, I do have a life, and I stated facts in reply #2 of this thread.

But you go right ahead and write one line rants all you want.

Gotta go again, the real world intrudes.

86 posted on 06/17/2003 7:10:13 AM PDT by Dane
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Comment #87 Removed by Moderator

To: Dane
A life is good! :>)
88 posted on 06/17/2003 7:13:36 AM PDT by TLBSHOW
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To: clamper1797
Clinton didn't even visit the WTC site in Oklahoma bombing...that is pretty sorry.......
89 posted on 06/17/2003 7:15:11 AM PDT by OREALLY
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To: Amelia
This is a Democrat web site. They want personal political power. Bush is not popular with them. He is popular with the progressives who supported Clinton. He and Clinton have the same poll numbers. When two politicians have poll numbers in the high 60s and low 70s more than half those people have to like both.

The liberals who suck at the government tit love both Bill and George. The professional politicians only care about themselves.

See what the site says about who they are:
“Progressive Majority's Advisory Committee is comprised of incumbent lawmakers . . .”


Members:
Senator Jon Corzine (D-NJ)
Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN)
Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-WI-02)
Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI-14)
Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR-04)
Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03)
Representative Lane Evans (D-IL-17)
Representative Bob Filner (D-CA-50)
Representative Barney Frank (D-MA-04)
Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL-04)
Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL-02)
Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA-09)
Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN-04)
Representative George Miller (D-CA-07)
Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY-08)
Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-Delegate)
Representative Major Owens (D-NY-11)
Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-08)
Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09)
Representative Hilda Solis (D-CA-31)
Representative Pete Stark (D-CA-13)
Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA-35)
Representative Diane Watson (D-CA-23)
Representative Lynne Woolsey (D-CA-06)

90 posted on 06/17/2003 7:16:51 AM PDT by SUSSA
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To: TLBSHOW
That is because Bush is a Socialist like his pal Blair

Oh come one. Just when I think I have seen a dumb comment at FR, you take the prize. Bush is a socialist? Your hysterical not very good one liner is in fact a platitude due to its gross exaggeration. Bush is a socialist as much as Hillary Clinton is a conservative.

91 posted on 06/17/2003 7:16:56 AM PDT by finnman69 (!)
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To: sergeantdave
Only time will tell. You could be right but based on Bush's history, I wouldn't bet on it.
92 posted on 06/17/2003 7:19:26 AM PDT by SUSSA
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To: Dane
There is no tax cut for the people with incomes in the 100-500k range. In fact, the Bush tax cuts will probably throw more people into this bracket and result in an effective tax increase. Alternative Minimum Tax. Read about it here...
http://www.fortune.com/fortune/investing/articles/0,15114,457263,00.html

Bush is not a conservative. The bots don't see the forest for the trees. Where it counts...really counts, and that is making government bigger, more intrusive, more costly, and more powerful...Bush is right up there with LBJ and FDR. Gore wouldn't have gotten half of this stuff passed.
93 posted on 06/17/2003 7:22:24 AM PDT by Jesse
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To: finnman69
Bush is a socialist?

And Todd will fully support GWB starting May 1, 2004.

A paradox, eh?

94 posted on 06/17/2003 7:22:28 AM PDT by TomServo (Free Illbay!!)
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To: OREALLY
Absolutely ... I'm sorry but in my book ... anyone who thinks that Agore would have done a better job than Bush has is on the wrong site ... and I'm no Bush Bot
95 posted on 06/17/2003 7:22:51 AM PDT by clamper1797 (Per caritate viduaribus orphanibusque sed prime viduaribus)
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To: TLBSHOW
and the only way to do that is We ALL at FR FREEP the

BUSH

WHITE HOUSE BUT GOOD.........

It is long over due because of the bushbots here at FR, who have done FAR FAR more damge to this site and country than they will ever know,
###

Yes indeed! We need to start FReeping Bush at the White House and at every appearance. He needs to know conservatives are not going to be brushed aside until he needs our votes.
96 posted on 06/17/2003 7:24:55 AM PDT by SUSSA
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Comment #97 Removed by Moderator

To: TLBSHOW
That's really not an answer to my question. Who would you like to see replace him?
98 posted on 06/17/2003 7:25:58 AM PDT by arasina (All the good taglines were taken.)
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To: sergeantdave
I'm still giving Bush a break.

If Bush is the nominee, then you either give him a break or you give his opponent a break. His opponent will neither lean to the right nor govern to the right. If we don't want to give Bush a break, then why do we bash Democrats?

99 posted on 06/17/2003 7:27:05 AM PDT by Consort
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To: SUSSA
Yes indeed! We need to start FReeping Bush at the White House and at every appearance. He needs to know conservatives are not going to be brushed aside until he needs our votes.


96 posted on 06/17/2003 10:24 AM EDT by SUSSA


BUMP
100 posted on 06/17/2003 7:27:24 AM PDT by TLBSHOW
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