Many economists say anything. Tax cuts alone do not decrease government growth. The government doesn’t operate on a real budget; it grows like cancer without regard to the health of the body (republic).
As far as budget growth overall, I (and I assume most others) don’t have any problem increasing DOD outlays during “war.” However, the increases are in no way limited to defense. War is a great excuse to pass all sorts of horrid legislation and increases in federal powers. That doesn’t mean it is right, nor true.
Reductions in America's nuclear arsenal will not hurt our military effectiveness. The recent agreement with Prez Putin, is for strategic weapons and doesn't apply to any tactical nuclear arms. Besides, they're not being destroyed, just warehoused. Having 1700-2200 nuclear weapons on hand, is more then enough firepower. This wasn't a political ploy, because Bush intended on reducing the nuclear numbers with, or without the Russians agreement, unilaterally.
I thank you for your opinion on nuclear readiness. The fact is that the strategic threat to the US is greater than any time during the cold war. Bush’s posture is similar to having armed guards without ammunition. Yes, they can respond, but it may be too late.
Tactical nukes are not a deterrence, strategic nukes are. And yes, that is my opinion. I didn’t care for Bush 1’s decision to get rid of SAC and closewatch either.
Military women defending our country overseas can't terminate an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy at a Military hospital, even if they pay for it and a Doctor agrees to do it, unless it's rape, incest or it endangers the mother's life. In rape or incest cases, the servicewoman must pay for the abortion.
I really dropped the ball here. I am glad to hear it. W has been pretty good with pro-life issues and I hope he continues. I believe he is honestly pro-life. Overall, I think he is a good man, but not exceptionally conservative.
I don't want any land, I just want your explanation of the deal that occured, between Bush and the RoC.
I have no idea of the deal that occurred; however, I have no doubt one did. How long before Kennedy’s deal with Kruschev was made public?
Bush isn't a dictator, he's a democratically elected leader, whose party controls one of two, chambers of the Congress and with a slim majority too boot! Wake up already!!
Duh, really? I though he would be able to use the “bully pulpit” without becoming a dictator. He could have at least backed Pickering and made some noise!!
As far as EOs go, just because something is hard doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. The “monuments” are nothing but monumental abuse of property rights. It’s worth fighting for! Bush would gain a huge block of voters if he would stand with the common man against the environmentalists and bureaucrats. Yes, my mind is closed because I have principles. I don’t believe in leaving a wrong because fighting to rescind it is hard.
As far as investigations, I don’t care about investigations. Political isolation works just as well. Everyone knows it is damn-near impossible to fire civil servants, but there are ways to remove them from power. The Clintonites need to be eviscerated!
I support Bush, but I can still hope for better from him. Gridlock is good, but only when it paralyzes the behemoth. I don’t want efficient government; I want less government! I believe Bush is a good, moral man, but he is not a conservative saint, nor a political fighter. (And no I never said he is a coward--he is a deal-maker.) Patriotism and love have a lot in common— honesty is foremost and we should set the bar high and expect results.
When it comes to economics, I'll put my trust in those professionals who are the experts in the field and whose opinion, I value. And I never said tax cuts alone, decrease government growth. It's a fact though, that reducing taxes takes money out of the government coffers and leaves less for Congress to spend. That's basic economics 101.
>>>The fact is that the strategic threat to the US is greater than any time during the cold war.
That's not true. Strategic weaponry are ICBM`s. As in, weapons designed or trained to strike an enemy, at the sources of his military, economic, or political power. There were 25,000 Soviet strategic missiles, targeted at the US during the Cold War. Today, there are fewer then 7,000 and that will soon be down to 1700-2200. The Red Chinese have anywhere from 18 to 50 missiles that could reach California. May be. The British and the French have no reason to attack us with nuclear weapons. Just who should America be afraid of? Korea? India? Pakistan? Iraq? Iran? These countries don't have strategic capabilities that could reach the US. I doubt a rogue nation or terrorist group could get their hands on an ICBM. May be a tactical nuke, may be a dirty bomb, but not a strategic WMD.
>>>However, the increases are in no way limited to defense. War is a great excuse to pass all sorts of horrid legislation and increases in federal powers. That doesn’t mean it is right, nor true.
I gave you the link to the 2003 Fderal Budget. It increases spending on mandatory programs, from $1.133 trillion to $1.159 trillion. That's an inflationary increase of 2.2% and mild by comparison to recent Clinton budgets.
>>>I though he would be able to use the bully pulpit...
As Senate Majority leader, Tom Daschle has become the greatest obstructionist in recent memory. He is doing a good job of striking down, whatever the President wants done and burying every piece of legislation that lands on his desk.
>>>As far as EOs go, just because something is hard doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done.
With all due respect, you need to brush up on your politics. The two articles I linked for you, explains the difficulties in reversing older EO`s. The last minute EO`s, that Clinton put through, never say the light of day. And if you're POTUS, you don't make unnecessary waves, that could come back to haunt you, down the road. Even the Founding Fathers understood how to play politics. In fact, most of them were masters at politics.
>>>Bush would gain a huge block of voters if he would stand with the common man against the environmentalists...</i.
Bush has stood up to environmentalists. That's what Kyoto was all about and his reversal of the Clinton EO that effected CO2 in the air and lead content of water. Remember?
>>>Yes, my mind is closed because I have principles.
Having principles, doesn't mean you should have a closed mind and compromise plays a big part in politics.
"When I began entering into the give and take of legislative bargaining in Sacramento, a lot of the most radical conservatives who had supported me during the election didn't like it. "Compromise" was a dirty word to them and they wouldn't face the fact that we couldn't get all of what we wanted today. They wanted all or nothing and they wanted it all at once. If you don't get it all, some said, don't take anything.
"I'd learned while negotiating union contracts that you seldom got everything you asked for. I have no expectations of making a hit every time I come to bat. What I seek is the highest possible batting average.
"If you got seventy-five or eighty percent of what you were asking for, I say, you take it and fight for the rest later, and that's what I told these radical conservatives who never got used to it."
Ronald Reagan, from his autobiography, An American Life
>>>I don’t want efficient government; I want less government!
I want both an efficient and smaller government. Cutting waste, fraud and abuse would help to give us a smaller government. Tax cuts/tax reform would even shrink the government further. The idea is to stop feeding the bloated bureaucracy in Wash-DC and the size and scope, power and influence of government, will get smaller over time.