Posted on 06/03/2002 10:04:46 AM PDT by hchutch
Just the headline
LOL, says who you? Ashcroft stated quite clearly on Fox News that he had terminated 25% of the Clinton holdovers. If you want their names , I suggest you call John Ashcroft.
Or not.
If I mistakenly left the impression otherwise, I humbly apologize, my FRiend.
"What Rush, Larry King, Rather, Brokaw, Jennings and the rest do it for is the prestige and power. Most of them will let go of the power and prestige when is is pried from their cold dead hands. People in both politics and the media are like ball players. They will do what ever it takes to get in the game."
Rush is certainly "in the game" and I'm sure Dubyuh would be the first to admit that without Rush's assistance, we'd have a President Algore today. I don't begrudge Limbaugh wanting to impact American policy and culture in a positive way, and I do believe Limbaugh's impact continues to be hugely positive.
"They will play for any team. The will switch teams. They want to play and will do all it takes to get to play. They are players .... not partisans."
Here, my wise ol' FRiend, we couldn't disagree more. I've listened to Rush pretty much 15+ hours a week (I tape and relisten sometimes) since the Gulf War and I can say without a doubt that his conservative principles are almost as pure as mine. You may say he's not partisan, but he's been one of the GOP's greatest supporters and benefactors over the last dozen years, and his reservations about Dubyuh's agenda are intended to assist Dubyuh, a man I believe he respects deeply.
"Rush is just doing what he thinks will keep him in the game. I am not sure it will, but he thinks it will help."
You've made this assertion many times before, C.T., seemingly to discount what Limbaugh says by impeaching his motivations, but I've never agreed because I've seen too many times where Rush has posited unpopular stands on issues only to be eventually proven Right. That's not to say I don't often disagree with Limbaugh and he's certainly been proven wrong before, but I do think he's solidly conservative and wouldn't abandon that ideology without losing his audience. Heck, you can't say that his disagreeing with a popular GOP President is helping his ratings...just look at all the FReepers on this thread who claim they have abandoned his show due to what I see as justified criticism.
"Don't you think Rush has noticed what Bill O'Reilly has done to Larry King. Don't you think Rush knows Bill wants to take Rush down? If Rush dropped to 16 million audience and Bill picked up just 4 or 6 million every TV News show in the country would carry it. Then the story this station or that one dropped Rush for Bill."
I question O-Reilly's conservatism much more than I ever have Rush's...we'll see how the ratings go, but I sure wouldn't count Rush out as a "has-been."
"I think it was either Jerry Springer or Dan Rather, I can't remember which that said Controvery sells tickets. It does...indeed."
So, how come Rush doesn't argue against the War on Terrorism, Dubyuh's strongest issue?! That sure as heck would be controversial and the Medyuh would swarm to Rush's glorification. No, Mr. Tator, Rush only questions Dubyuh when Bush veers sharply to the Left, which he has unfortunately been doing all too often when it comes to domestic policy. As I seem to recall, that's pretty much the treatment received by Dubyuh's daddy, too, another man Rush--and I--deeply respected but who tended to underestimate the passion Conservatives feel for limiting the Federal Guv'ment to its constitutional roots.
"Rush like Johnny Carson wants to go out as king of the his division of broadcasting. But right now Rush hears heavy breathing behind him. He does not want to get beat. I have learned one other thing over the years. Guys who are afraid of getting beat... Get beat."
Perhaps Rush will get beat, but IMHO, it'll be with his conservative principles intact. My fear is that my President--and OUR Party--will get beat by abandoning the conservative principles I believe both you and I (and Rush and Dubyuh) agree on. Attempts by Rush--and others questioning Dubyuh's domestic compromising of Principle--to avert such a political disaster are admirable in my eyes. I guess we'll see over the next 2.5-6.5 years, won't we, my FRiend?!
FReegards...MUD
He has committed himself to advancing major parts of the conservative agenda i.e. tax cuts, conservative judges, missle defense, privatize Social Security, etc.
His tax cuts were a pittance in relation to the major spending programs he has signed onto.
So! He cut taxes, and he cut all the tax rates. Cutting Taxes is a conservative position. Bush did something conservative. Give him credit for it. And don't blame Bush because the Rats opposed and watered down the tax cut. Bush did go back and try to expand the tax cut, and the rats tried to repeal it. The point is the Bush has publicly taken a conservative positon and got a tax cut passed. Not stealthy
As for appointing conservative judges and privatizing social security, how many conservative judges have been confirmed, and what concrete steps have been taken toward privatizing social security? Talk is cheap. Doing the legwork to see both become reality requires commitment and stamina.
Bush nominated Conservative judges. He's keeping a campaign promise, a conservative campaign promise. Again He's doing something conservative that everyone can see. Not too stealthy.
He appointed a commission of Reformers to work on SS. I expect this to be a major issue for the 04 campaign. And don't forget my point. Bush has publicly taken a conservative stand. A stand that is considered political suicide. Again not too stealthy.
It's up to the rat controlled senate to confirm them. They are violating their own ethical standards by their stonewalling. And if you refer to my first post, you will see that under point 4, I critized Bush for not fighting as vigorously for his judges he should have.
As far as missile defense is concerned, pulling out of the ABM treaty was a step in the right direction. Now let’s watch and see how many more steps in the right direction he takes, post ABM.
Wow Another Issue where Bush public took a conservative position, was attacked for it by the europeans, rats, and media. Again not to stealthy.
The senate armed forces committee is determined to cut missile defense funding for 2003. Bush cannot capitulate on this.
Who's the problem here, the rats who want a weak America, or Bush who is fighting to build missle defense. And my point is that again Bush is taking a conservative stand.
The PAC-3 antimissile system, and the sea-based and ground-based missile intercept programs desperately require additional funding and need to be continued (especially in light of Iran and North Korea spending billions every year developing long-range weapons). This is not the time to cut funding for such programs (as if there ever were such a time). Bush has never been in a better position to press for a well-funded missile defense program (and his new pact with Russia should silence those poised to label him a hawk). If the President doesn’t make the most of his current popularity in order to sufficiently fund missile defense (senate foot-draggers notwithstanding), he has betrayed his conservative base in the worst way possible….where national security is at risk.
So right now Bush is doing what you want him to do for this issue. He's funding Missle defense, and he got a treaty that will silence critics.
Bush is so desperate to regain control of the senate that he is willing to sign many bad bills, in order to deny the democrats issues.
A certain amount of compromise is necessary in order to be an effective leader, but not when compromise includes signing bad legislation so as to deny public opinion ammunition to one’s ideological enemies. That is called surrendering (no matter how temporarily, or seemingly insignificantly) to the political and media information manipulators/propagandists. It amounts to allowing himself (and the people who elected him) to fall victim to ideological extortion. Not the kind of strength of character one seeks in the leader of the free world.
I agree, as Rush as said many times compromise should at least partially advance your agenda, and that Bush should use his high poll numbers to advance his agenda. But this is a tactical mistake, Bush is compromising his values hopefully for important victory in this upcoming election.
Bush is trying so hard to set a high standard of Presidential behavior (to repair the damage that Clinton has done) that he is failing to engage in the politics necessary to advance the conservative agenda.
I’m scratchin’ my head here. Are you offering this explanation in the President’s defense? Do you think a President should devote one iota of his time or energy making mental comparisons (and hoping that others will, as well) between himself and his predecessor (no matter the vermin-like nature of the man who occupied the oval office before him)? A man of character will be recognized as such without having to focus on exhibiting it for public consumption. Among a myriad of other things, Ronald Reagan taught us that.
Reread what I said!! I said that Bush is trying to repair the DAMAGE that Clinton has done. I never said that Bush was trying to avoid comparsions with clinton. Clinton corrupted and degraded both the White House and the political process. Clinton poisoned the relationship with Congress that Presidents have enjoyed in the past. Bush is trying to repair the damage by treating the members of Congress courteously and respectfully.
And I'm not defending the Bush here. (I said that he was failing to advance the conservative agenda.) I am explaining why Bush is acting the way he is. It' a little bit more than "he's a stealth conservative."
Personally I am very disappointed with Bush lately.(And I've send several e-mails to congress and the white house expressing my disappointment.) But I am objective enough to give him the credit he's due. Is it possible to give Bush the credit for good positions he's taken as well as critize his bad positions. A lot of people here cannot! Either Bush is the devil or he's the second coming. He is neither, He is a lot better than his father, but not as good as Reagan.
Meanwhile, the al quaeda are under the false impression that we are dividing from within. WE ARE NOT. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
When a caller is able to intelligently refute Rush's point they are ridiculed and dismissed.
It's not an exchange of ideas, it's Rush's way or no way. That is fine, it's his show.....but he's not intellectually capable of discerning fact from fiction and has become the handmaiden of the leftist media.
That's simply not true, OldFriend...Rush continues to be a major supporter of Dubyuh, just not his willingness to coopt the Left's agenda. This is what I just pulled from Rush's website...
"President Bush has dismissed the EPA report on global warming "put out by the bureaucracy." That's a key word, "bureaucracy." It's a telling way to refer to the Environmental Protection Agency. This report blind-sided the White House, folks. This wasn't supposed to happen. With all that's going on, this is not a front burner issue to them right now and somebody made it one. We may never know who did it, but if heads roll, don't be surprised. Christie Todd Whitman runs the EPA. It's a cabinet-level department. If the president isn't responsible for the administration's position, then who is? This is a legitimate question because this whole thing was reported, not as "the EPA says," but rather as, "the Bush administration says." And now the president himself, the head of the Bush administration, is dismissing the EPA report. So who put it out? Did some low-level bureaucrat do it on his or her own? What about Christie Todd Whitman? Did she release the report? Folks, if this is a screw-up, then someone needs to be held responsible, because this report received an enormous amount of press and that's not by accident. Somebody put this out, because this report was sent out last week under the cover of darkness. Nobody knew about it. All of a sudden, the EPA puts it on its website, and lo and behold, the New York Times picks it up, runs with it, and the fracas that resulted ensues. These are interesting questions - so we'll have to see if we eventually get answers, but we're left to believe here that this is a bureaucratic screw-up that somebody tried to sneak past everyone and into reality. Regardless, the president did the right thing by dismissing it."
Now, if Rush hadn't said anything, would Dubyuh have felt the need to distance himself from this Socialist report?! I have my doubts, and believe Limbaugh's attention to the matter alerted Bush to something he doesn't believe in being released as Bush Administration policy. This is what I call CONSTRUCTIVE Criticism and its invaluable, IMHO...deep down, I think Dubyuh appreciates this sort of comment much more than the sycophancy we see all too much of on this supposedly-Conservative Forum.
FReegards...MUD
You and I will have to disagree when it comes to Rush.
I seem to recall the House Republicans hailing Limbaugh as the Majority Maker back in '94, so I'm hesitant to argue against the impact Rush has had and promises to make in the future.
"You and I will have to disagree when it comes to Rush."
Fair 'nuff...I realize there is a world of things on which we both agree. Differing on our opinions of the virtues of a particular radio personality ain't no big thing.
FReegards...MUD
We stop the bleeding with our vote.
Our vote is based on our support of the man & our party.
Our support is based upon our faith.
Our faith is based upon what it is we KNOW this POTUS walked into -- is having to deal with BEFORE he's able to be the conservative we all want to see, right now.
What we know this POTUS is having to deal with is based upon what it is we've WITNESSED with our own two eyes; ie, the CORRUPTION, the Liberal-Socialist infestation of our Lamestream, academics, & every other thread of the socail fabric we wrap ourselves in.
This is not something reversed overnight & you simply must -- sooner or later -- come to understand the full magnitude of what's happening, here.
Above all else?
STOP listening to that damnedable Lamestream; please?
"We're supposed to be the Party of limited Federal Guv'ment, but Dubyuh's seemingly ready to sign off on every spending boondoggle that comes down the pike!! Sure, I like Dubyuh and still somehow believe he's innately conservative, but his willingness to buy into the Left's agenda doesn't warrant the 90% approval rating he's getting from the GOP these days."
Speaking ONLY for myself, & keeping in mind I do not like the *situation* any more than you [do]?
I will reiterate my POV for you one more time:
"The man has 4 years to show us what he's got; period. MY next vote will be based on the sum of the (his) parts; &, not some instantaneous value."
"It's high time a few more of our voices on the Right were heard in opposition to this approach before it's too late to change course."
The Leftist ghouls are just waiting for such a move, my friend.
In fact?
They're banking on it coming sooner rather than later, more rather than less & they're banking on the dissention coming from within the conservative Right, itself.
Why, they're waiting like hungry dogs that'd rip off bits & pieces of the flesh we tear from one another & they'll use that for the grist of, tomorrow's story.
As for it ever being, "too late" for *anything*?
It's never too late; rather, & more often than not?
It comes down to a question of timing.
"The Right will never win a spending contest with the Left and to consider even trying is pure folly on our part, IMHO."
*My* opin, too & Amen to that!
"...and I certainly wouldn't believe the NY Slimes as far as I could throw their fat-assed editorial board."
Good.
I'm relieved to know your thought process will NOT be influenced by the pigs at that insideously Liberal-Socialist sewer; ever.
The NYSlimes is only but-one, too; they're are others, of course.
Others who're worthy of shunning & the ruination which hopefully results from the social & financial isolation they so richly deserve & have earned.
"Still, the concerns Rush and other conservatives are raising about Dubyuh's willingness to abandon conservative principles in favor of ethereal mid-term polling popularity need proper airing and consideration."
Sure; by the other side.
I need no such, "airing."
I've faith, you see; &, I'm not afraid to discover I was wrong about any thing or person, either.
That, is my *secret* weapon. {g}
"The Fall's campaign should be based on telling the American people how the GOP's winning back the Senate and increasing our lead in the House will reign in the Federal Leviathan and return us to a form of Federal government more in keeping of that which our Founding Father's envisioned when they penned the Constitution."
9 outa 10 of my neighbors -- upper-middle class, educated people -- cannot spell the word, "Constitution"; &, nevermind their knowing what the hell's in it.
In fact?
MANY of their businesses depend, in some way, on federal dollars.
So?
Go screaming those dollars are going to be, overnight, cut off?
We'll get ourselves saddled with another iteration of Clintigula - Sink Emporer the 1st.
~Fact.
"Otherwise, I fear Dubyuh and the GOP will learn all too late that the enthusiasm of the Right's base will have been dampened irreparably come November '02 and '04.
That would be an unforgivable shame..."
Unforgivable but fickle, Mud; &, nothing that cannot or will not be reversed.
When the timing is right.
...have patience, will you?
I was wrong. I wish you had gotten here 1,000 posts ago. :-)
All this stuff's connected, people.
And it's all based on a lot of doubts fostered over nearly a decade's time.
Those doubts were not the result or workings of us on the Right.
Those doubts were the result of the other guys being in power.
Remember?
This POTUS is a man.
He's not a magician, or some kind of onipotent God who may change the course of a rivers with the mere wave of a hand.
Even if he could?
Wouldn't the physical process of it all take some time anyway; &, not be an *instantaneous* event?
...people, cultures, & governments can be a hell of a lot harder to change than mere rivers, my friend.
Timing is everything.
Seems (to me) the time it took to bleed-off a lot of anger, frustration, & poison done in some 1300+ entries?
Was actually time well spent.
...in which case, I just might've been right on time; this time.
Your post #1413 is really good. I wish I had patience. I wish I had it *now*.
Make that 1314!! This dyslexia will be the death of me yet! LOL
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