[LonePalm]

In January of 1996, while driving a Ford Escort, I hit a patch of black ice on I-80 just east of the Delaware Water Gap in NJ. I made three 360 degree turns before coming to rest less than one foot from the guard rail in the right hand break down lane facing forward. Less than five seconds later an 18-wheeler that I had passed earlier passed less than five feet to my left. The driver had to have seen me spin. By the Grace of God and the steely nerves of that driver, I am alive today.

I have NEVER forgotten that incident. That was one of my brushes with death.

I do not think that the Democrats have had their brush with political death yet. If they continue, GWB may well destroy them by a device of their own making. If they survive, they will be wiser and more circumspect.

In a sense, they will be hoist by their own petard.

[Support Free Republic]

When Clinton was asked what he thought of foreign affairs he replied, "I don't know, I never had one." (As usual, he lied)

Free Republic

Your donations keep us laughing at liberals

[LonePalm]

Ping in order of reply to my request for comments.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Jamais reculez á tyrannie un pouce!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! Never give an inch to tyranny!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[facedown]

BTTT

[RJCogburn]

I think that GWB is "Political Black Ice" to the Democrats

I agree. Sadly, though, his political skills are resulting in huge deficits, huge expansions of government size and power, burdens that we will carry years after Bush and friends are gone from the scene.

My kids and their kids will then carry the burden. Bush has been able to black ice the size, cost and power of government beyond what a dem would have been politically able to accomplish. Just as it took a Nixon to go to China, it has taken a 'conservative' Republican to run up a half trillion dollar deficit and all the rest.

Bush should be ashamed of this,but I fear he is shameless.

[ARepublicanForAllReasons]

Like a speeding driver in winter, the Democrat’s tongues are wagging too fast for political conditions.

At the rate they are going, the Dems will have to change their script every couple of weeks, right up until Nov '04.
May I propose a definition?
Black Ice: the phenomenon of gaining negative traction, as when a stationary Dummycrat takes a sidewise slap at a man on a galloping horse who is moving faster than the Dummycrat can even think.

[MEG33]

I watched a volkwagon enter the freeway going 50,hit the black ice and roll down a step embankment.We were aware of the danger and glad he came out ahead of us instead of behind.The dems may have entered this with the same foolhardy bravado indeed.

[Constitution Day]

BTTT!

Your links in the article don't work, BTW.... I bet the moderator would fix them if you said "pretty please". ;^)

[Little Ray]

From Neal's Nuze:
CLINTON’S RECORD BROKEN
George Bush has broken a Clinton record, though not one to be proud of. The Federal Register – the publication that lists all proposed and enacted federal regulations – increased to 75,606 pages in 2002. That breaks the previous record set by Bill Clinton in 2000.

You need to know that these federal regulations cost businesses (and, ultimately, the consumers) in America more than all business income taxes combined.

During 2002 Congress passed 269 new laws. During the same year regulatory agencies passed 4,167 final rules. Not one of these rules was then subjected to congressional oversight.

Some more things to think about when considering Bush’s record in the White House.

Federal government spending under Bush has increased at a rate faster than of any year during the Clintonista era.

George Bush has yet to veto one single spending bill.

George Bush has teamed up with congressional Democrats to pass massive spending increases in education, agriculture and other areas.

George Bush has been in office for almost three years, and has yet to recommend the elimination of one single government-spending program.

And you wonder why I vote libertarian?

***
The reason the Dems are having problems with GW is that he's an awful lot like 'em. I am not voting Libertarian, but I'd really like a a REAL conservative in the Whitehouse. One who will spend less. One who will fight illegal immigration.
I don't trust GW to put good conservatives on the Supreme Court, either.

[PGalt]

NO Democratic/Socialist Crime Syndicate member would EVER THINK of doing what President Bush HAS DONE with foreign policy. Nearly 100 years of domestic socialist drift cannot be undone by a first term President with a razor thin majority, courts packed with activist judges and an unparalled propaganda machine just starting to crack.

We are in the midst of one of the greatest president / administrations in the history of this republic.

[John Robertson]

"In October of 2000, as new member of Free Republic, I coined the phrase, "Broken Glass Republicans"...."

I liked your article. A lot. Very smart, very thought-provocative. But caution on the claims. I've heard the phrase Broken-glass Republicans for many years now, long before 2000. Otherwise, spot on.

[Eala]

BTTT

[Fzob]

BFL (bump for later)

[Travis McGee]

It works for me!

[Coleus]

Great Job bump, and Democrats watch out in 2004, a tidal wave is coming.

[Varmint Al]

I am STILL a Broken Glass  Republican.
Are you?

A BG Republican is one who would crawl across Broken Glass to get to the polling place today and cast his vote! Here is the first reference I have found to Broken Glass Republican. Posted on the FreeRepublic.com and here is the post:

To All:
I am now a Broken Glass Republican!!!!!!
I will crawl over broken glass to vote November 7th.

Again, please forgive the vanity post. I should be feeling better around January 20th.
1 Posted on 10/14/2000 13:12:09 PDT by LoanPalm (Broken Glass Republican)

+++++++++++++++++++++++

LoanPalm, thanks for the heads up. I truly am still a BGR. I like the Black Ice too.

A little look into the past. I still have this on my Gun Rights & Politics Page.

Good Hunting... from Varmint Al

[Robert A Cook PE]

Good observation.

Bush is far more competent than the mass media (and the liberals!) dare avow.

That said, he's also more "socially liberal" than I'd prefer. It may be more of a "Washington" disease too....among ALL who stay in DC among the attention and media too long.

The Senate Republicans, for exampple, aren't "conservatives" in any real sense.

[Calpernia]

Ping

[rabidralph]

In January of 1996, while driving a Ford Escort, I hit a patch of black ice on I-80 just east of the Delaware Water Gap in NJ. I made three 360 degree turns before coming to rest less than one foot from the guard rail in the right hand break down lane facing forward. Less than five seconds later an 18-wheeler that I had passed earlier passed less than five feet to my left. The driver had to have seen me spin. By the Grace of God and the steely nerves of that driver, I am alive today.

I do my sliding on dry pavement. Now, that takes real talent! :-)

[Jhoffa_]

Bravo!

I like both your terms.. They are perfect.

You are obviously a very astute fellow.

I wonder if Dubya isn't going to find himself on "Political Black Ice" with his base before long though.

[thoughtomator]

There's another definition of black ice that I find even more appropriate. In cyberspace terms, it would actually be called Black I.C.E. (Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics).

Black ICE is an active and destructive automated response to attempted hacking, not unlike what Sen. Hatch recently proposed for music downloaders. It doesn't bother you if you're not attempting to hack into the system it protects, but if you do gain its ire, you will find it not only acting to block your hack attempt, but to trace the origin of the attempt and do damage to the hacker's machine (and even the hacker himself).

All of which is quite apropos, given the self-mutilation of the Democrats due to their rampant attempts to smear this President. While there are reasons to criticize GWB, the Democrats are uniquely positioned to be unable to capitalize on those reasons - since in those categories (most especially fiscal responsibility) they are far far worse, and everyone knows it.