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"This board SKEWERED Clinton daily (rightfully so!) for the same kind of policymaking. Now, because Bush has an (R) after his name, he can do no wrong. It's sad to realize that the ideologs on the right are no different in principle from those on the left: If it's "our guy," find a way to justify whatever he does."

I can't agree with your assessment. Yes, President Bush definitely plays politics, and that isn't right, but he's not the personification of the caricature you are presenting here. Don't forget the brighter side of things: His personal life seems very clean (after Klinton, this is a must!), he frequently appoints (and re-appoints) staunch right-wingers like Charles Pickering, Priscilla Owen, Bill Pryor and Tymothy Tymkovich to the federal courts. He's done many things to express his opposition to abortion, both through legislation and judicial nominations. He vocally supports abstinence and marriage, in spite of having only slim support for it in Congress. He's the staunchest supporter of the death penalty we've probably ever had in the White House (the first 3 federal executions in 40 years have taken place under his watch - 2 of which were minorities. Bill Klinton stayed the execution of them, simply because he was Hispanic). He very courageously stood against global popular opinion during the Iraq war and was and still is demonised for it. The list goes on. Yes, his approach to homosexuality has been disappointing, for sure. Yet, how often do you hear him verbally promoting it like Klinton or Gore did? He refuses to sign 'Gay Pride Month' year after year. The White House endorsed the recent Texas DOM Act which banned both gay marriage and civil unions. The President also refused to reprove Senator Santorum, though he surely should have done more to support him, I know.

Yet, people accuse Bush of being no different from Klinton. I encourage those people to sit back and very calmly think back to what the Klinton presidency was really like. Do you know why the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is the most liberal Appeals Court in the country? Dig a little and have a look at the percentage of Clinton appointees that are on that court (I'll tell you that he didn't appoint very many Bill Pryors or Charles Pickerings). Have a look at his 2 US Supreme Court appointees, openly called moderates but with a radically liberal voting record. Think back to the "I have one thing to say to American people . . ." speech. Think to the Starr Report and the unsuccessful impeachment trial in the Senate. Think of that whole era that stripped America of its moorings like never before. And then ask you if President Bush has done the same. You'll be out of your poor minds if you think we're no better off now than before.

To clarify my position: I am NOT saying Bush is no better than Clinton, not by a long shot. Yes, there is definitely a huge improvement in the White House, a bright side, if you will. On the whole, the difference is daylight and dark.

The thing I'm trying to point out is the hypocrisy involved in supporting, or at least quietly ignoring, Bush on any given individual issue, when Clinton would've (rightfully) been roasted daily for it. I'm not equating their presidencies by any stretch of the imagination; I'm simply of the belief that we conservatives should stand on principle and character, not just for the officeholder of the day. Remember all the flak Clinton took--again, deservedly so!--over the Hormel appointment? Where's that same universal outrage from Freepers regarding Bush's appointment of a Romanian ambassador who takes his boyfriend on his arm to United States Marine Corps events? That's one example that perfectly sums up my point concerning the hypocrisy.

Nor does this mean I'm not going to vote for him in 2004. Of course I am. But there are lots who won't. They won't vote for a Dem. They just won't vote at all. He's killing the enthusiasm among many in his base.

Finally, thank YOU for engaging in an intelligent discussion even though we may disagree on some of this. Beats the heck out of the darts of "whiner" and "tantrum" and the other silliness.