George Bush's Big Government Adventure

Free Republic and Various ^ | 01-30-02 | aaabest

[AAABEST]

With Conservative Like This, Who Needs Liberals?

Let me start off by addressing those who have been bashing(and I do mean bash) me and other well intentioned and well known Freepers as being anti-Bush, Libertarians, from the reform party or whatever. 

I voted for GWB, and I can ping several freepers to this thread that met me in real life at several Bush rallies (with megaphone in hand). I was a member of the Broward County Young Republicans before moving to the West coast of Florida and I was active in Jeb Bush's campaign for Governor. 

I've been on this forum for almost 4 years and anyone that knows me is aware of my conservative views and knows that I'm not a member of the reform party, I'm not a Libertarian (large "l") or any of the other things I and others like me have been accused of.

If you have been engaging in inflammatory rhetoric, bashing long-time, well known Freepers or acting like children because not all of us are enthralled with "Georges Big Government Adventure",  please try to control yourselves, at least while posting on this thread. 

It's not my purpose (at least at this point) to get GWB un-elected, I like him, he has a beautiful wife, he's a good Commander in Chief and he seems like an honest politician. However,  if he keeps ignoring conservative principles and promoting a larger more intrusive government, I and others can no longer continue to support him....on principle. 

We're working to roll back decades of governmental largesse, to root out political fraud and corruption, and to champion causes which further conservatism in America.

Above is the Free Republic mission statement.  After his first year, would anyone say that GWB has worked towards this end? I think many conservatives suffer from some kind of Stockholm Syndrome as a result of 8 years of President Clinton, because when I ask many of them what GWB has done for conservatism lately, all I get is that he's not Clinton. 

I know he's not a corrupt, law breaking scoundrel, but is that all that's required? Can our republic survive a cycle where Republicans get into office grow government greatly, interspersed with Democrats who grow government even more greatly with little or no reduction? There are actually people on FR that think all of this growth in government spending is some grandiose 8 year plan by Mr. Bush to fool Democrats so that he can cut government later. What an absurd notion.

If any of the initiatives below originated from the Clinton administration, people on FR would have had a cow. Those "Day in the Life of President Bush" threads garner hundreds of fawning responses, while a thread on how our government is growing out of control will die after 10.

I appeal to anyone reading this to consider the below information without bias. The links will open in a separate window for you convenience.  I will be adding to this information as necessary God bless America, God bless this forum and God bless you.

Click on the Picture of the President (thinking of new ways grow government) for the corresponding article.

	Huge education spending bill (i.e. Federal Local School Board Bribery Act) which liberal Democrats love that doesn't mention a word about choice or local control.
	Food stamps for immigrants.
	Largest spending bill in American History. The first to exceed 2 trillion dollars.
	The Airport Security Bill that completely takes control of over 28,000 screening jobs. Now it seems that they don't even have to be high school graduates either. The big difference, they can't be fired.
	100 million for welfare moms.
	Hugely Expanding Clinton's Amercorps boondoggle that all conservatives railed against.
	Kowtowing to law breaking illegal immigrants by proposing amnesty. Speaking of illegal immigrants who sneak across the border; "And we've got to respect that, seems like to me, and treat those people with respect," he added. "I remind people all across our country: Family values do not stop at the border."
.	38 Billion for a new Homeland Security bureaucracy that allots a 20% increase for border control. Guess what. It goes to our problematic Canadian border, with not a dollar spent on the Mexican border. Read it for yourself
	The  Orwellian "Patriot Act" that gives Federal authorities carte blanche to rifle through all of your digital communications and essentially,  rob your house without notice.
	71.5 billion over 10 years for government health care.
	Not releasing appropriate documents on Clinton and FBI corruption.

 

[Dane]

LOL! I just noticed something. Your passage,

71.5 billion over 10 years for government health care

The passage from the NYT/AP article you based your above iaticized passage,

Conservatives typically prefer a free-market approach, which would have families choose their own health insurance packages in the open market. Bush's plan, first made when he was running for president and included in his budget last year, will offer tax breaks to help pay often-steep premiums.

This year's proposal will be essentially unchanged and worth up to $1,000 per person or $2,000 per couple, according to an administration official speaking on condition of anonymity. Like last year, it will be available to people who don't owe federal taxes -- typically people with very low incomes.

Last year's proposal, which was phased in over a number of years, set the income limit at $30,000 in adjusted gross income for individual tax filers and $60,000 for married couples.

The plan's cost was estimated at $71.5 billion over 10 years

LOL, you got snookered by the AP. In AP terms the $71.5 billion it "costs", is the "cost"(i.e lost revenue) to the federal treasury due to the tax credits.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Sometimes I wonder if anybody is paying attention to what is going on. Glad I'm not alone.

We are, and your not alone.

[RightOnline]

Naaaaaaaaaw............no bashing here. No bashing of you, who posted this; and I didn't take this thread as "Bush-bashing", either.

Your points are well made, targeted, lucid, and................accurate.

Look, I think we can all agree that GW is a good man. He has truly risen to the "occasion" since 9/11. He's a highly capable CinC, has a top notch cabinet and collection of advisors, etc., etc., etc.

However, it would be disingenuous of me to say that the growth of the Fed under his administration didn't bother me. It bothers me a lot. I'm not quite sure why he's done it, except to somehow bend over backward and show the Democrats that he, too, can give away taxpayer funds to be "compassionate".

I don't see him as a strict Constitutionalist. I am. GW and I may have to agree to disagree.

Anyway, just wanted you to know (from another long-time FReeper) that your concerns are shared by others; you aren't alone.

[RightRules]

YES!!!! And many of the newly Federalized Airport workers who are patting our bodies down and going through our personal stuff are not even citizens!!! But we're supposed to smile like good little sheeple and thank them for keeping us safe, even if they don't have any idea what they are doing!!!

You neglected to mention "and stealing our stuff". It happened to my wife last Friday at O'Hare... cash stolen from her purse by a security screener while a cooperating screener made sure her back was turned. Never, ever let these people go through your property unless you're watching them!

As for Dubya, as proud as I am to have a man and woman of honor in the White House, I am disappointed at a number of his actions. I'm withholding my opinion of his speech for now. I can understand and appreciate his "centrist" rhetoric as a way of de-clawing the dimocRATS (as Clinton did to the GOP). However, actions speak louder than words. I'm gonna watch. Very carefully.

Effective immediately, I expect Mr President to stop publically sucking up to the drunken senator from Taxachusetts.

[FreeReign]

"Actually, he has cut back Government in certain respects. See "Southack"'s post for a list of instances." Trivial compared to the ones in the article at the top.

Did Bush cut back discretionary spending compared to the rates of inflation and population growth?

[weikel]

Yeah but I do not think we will ever have the constituition back I wish all entitlements and the income tax could be abolished but call me cynical I don't think it will ever happen.

[Dane]

Chech out reply #221.

[Holden Magroin]

Clinton was so far to the left that he made RINOs look like they were to the right.

Exactly! I remember thinking how conservative Olympia Snowe was!

[Ragin1]

"We're gonna do it my way now"

His way is totalitarianism. See Patriot Act.
http://www.politechbot.com/docs/usa.act.final.102401.html

[VinnyTex]

Hey Shucks!

The gubbermint is smaller today than it was 20yrs ago.

[St.Chuck]

Sorry to bug you, but I love your name...that is from THE! best episode.

[sam_paine]

The idealists don't much care for Bush. The realists know what he is up against.

The idealists think that Bush should be Ruling as a Monarch. The realists know that the man barely got in.

The idealists think they saw Bush kissing Ted Kennedy's ass over the ED bill. The realists saw him blowing smoke up Ted's ass.

HEAR! HEAR!!!! This Paine is a REALIST!!!

[nononsense]

Thanks for stating the obvious

[TLBSHOW]

BUMP

[IRtorqued]

heads and tails of the same coin as it were.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

But apparently, the only enemy some of you recognize are the ones with a (D) by their name.

That is an extremely limited and WRONG statement. I will criticize anyone of any party if they are wrong. But I don't happen to think President Bush is. And I think the Democrats are extremely worried about that. In fact,.. I wonder if many who post in these threads, aren't just that "DEMS" Who are trying to disrupt the biggest threat they have.. PRESIDENT BUSH!!!

Daschle is the sole person holding up a stimulus package.. there is bi-partisan support for it. In otherwords.. it would pass.

He ALONE is holding back 49 issues from going up for voting in the Senate. That he has a "D" behind his name is his fault. Not mine.

[Ragin1]

The government has all the answers, eh? We just need another welfare package for a stimulus, right? Big Brother.

[nunya bidness]

I wonder if many who post in these threads, aren't just that "DEMS"

You couldn't be more wrong. Check out incindiary's home page.

[Dane]

I've read the comments and most are sympathetic to the original article. Which is refreshing. Most articles critical of Bush are met with intense hostility. This thread, with a few exceptions, contains a lot of agreement with the sentiments of the original article.

You are correct and I was mistaken for not beleiveing that someone could read all the comments and then post back on the first reply.

BTW, any comments on reply #221?

[verboten]

I love your kind of attitude. When I see it.. I keep thinking.. "yeah.. your the kind of person I want protecting me.. NOT!!!"

That is your loss. You seem to have bought into the idea that only some people are responsible for law and order, not the whole of society. You seem to think protection and justice are only the product of government.

This country is doing pretty darn good.

Oh we are wealthy and can blow people up real well. But we kill lots of unborn children, have a significant amount of substance abuse (especially perscribed anti-depressants), have strangers raise our children, work slavishly in office buildings surrounded by huge parking lots and nothing else, have almost completely destroyed the family, and lock up a larger percentage of citizens than most other countries in the world. I think that as has been shown by all of history, material wealth is bought at the cost of our dignity.