[PhiKapMom]

As soon as Ralph Reed's interview with Candy Crowley from CNN is up on the site, it needs posted.

Reed covered all these complaints and in the end the bottom line is that 96% of REPUBLICAN conservative base support the President enthusiastically. He also went on to say that without the increased spending for DoD and Homeland Security including Iraq and Afghanistan, the budget for the Country would be shrinking not growing.

Great interview. I was tipped off that Reed was going to be on and I broke my own pledge not to watch CNN.

BTW Crowley used the Cato Institute as an example of conservatives that don't appreciate Bush. The last time I heard Cato was Libertarian.

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

BTW Crowley used the Cato Institute as an example of conservatives that don't appreciate Bush. The last time I heard Cato was Libertarian.

They're a breed sometimes sneeringly referred to as "Beltway libertarians". The line between their policy prescriptions and those of the conservative think tanks is often fuzzy.

[deport]

Well that can bitch and moan but President Bush is much the same today as in the campaign, imo. The scope has changed in many ways but I don't think his approach has. He'll try to reach some accord with factions and move forward. Nothing new there.

I'm sure someone will post it...... Maybe the transcript will be up later on.. who knows. I don't

[finnman69]

Thank you for a reasoned appropriate post.

[Joe Bonforte]

"He also went on to say that without the increased spending for DoD and Homeland Security including Iraq and Afghanistan, the budget for the Country would be shrinking not growing."

Sorry, but I believe that is incorrect. According to a report by the Cato Institute in April of this year:

"Whereas Reagan was able to reduce non-defense discretionary outlays by 14 percent, Bush will have overseen a rise of 18 percent -- a whopping 32 percent difference between the two men.

"The table at the bottom compares nondefense discretionary spending levels between Reagan and Bush. President Reagan managed to cut spending in most categories. In contrast, Bush has not only failed to match Reagan in reducing spending, spending has actually gone up across the board -- and often at exorbitant levels."

It's worth while to check that page just to look at the table at the bottom.

Also, on Congressman Dan Burton's web site is a document that contains the following:

• In the last 7 years, non-defense discretionary spending has grown by 66%

• FY 2003 alone was a 9% increase in discretionary spending over FY02

Unless Mr. Reed is getting better numbers from somewhere else, it looks to me like he's flat out wrong.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

Reed covered all these complaints and in the end the bottom line is that 96% of REPUBLICAN conservative base support the President enthusiastically. He also went on to say that without the increased spending for DoD and Homeland Security including Iraq and Afghanistan, the budget for the Country would be shrinking not growing.

What particular area of the budget actually shrunk?

[Catalonia]

He also went on to say that without the increased spending for DoD and Homeland Security including Iraq and Afghanistan, the budget for the Country would be shrinking not growing.

Interesting stat. Does anybody link to some hard numbers on this? It's sure to come up again.

[The Old Hoosier]

Don't forget that Reed is a hired gun.

The key to Bush and the Republicans is that you have to kick and scream to get them to go your way. Third party is a waste of time, but constant praise of Bush only makes him even more invulnerable and even less accountable.