Posted on 06/05/2002 1:20:54 PM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
Let me just say up front that I am not addressing you if you voted for George W. Bush in 2000 and regret it. The same goes for those of you who voted for Bush and insist on holding his feet to the fire on the important issues. If, however, you cast your vote for Bush, still believe he is the only hope for America and intend to support every move he makes without so much as a raised eyebrow, this is for you.
It has been nearly a year-and-a-half since George W. Bush, the savior of conservatism, descended from on high to begin his earthly reign in Washington, D.C. Republicans assured us that he would restore integrity to the White House and would be a marked improvement over the promiscuous Bill Clinton. Well, in all honesty, that could have been accomplished by electing a neutered chimp to the office of president.
During the 2000 presidential campaign, George W. Bush the man proved to be a nice break from Bill Clinton and Al Gore. Unlike Gore, Bush had a more likable...well, he actually had a personality. He also possessed the unique ability to address the American people without the smug and condescending vibe Clinton exuded. However, when it came to policy, George W. Bush the candidate failed to demonstrate that he would govern any differently than his Democrat counterparts.
Still, throughout the campaign, there was a loyal group of Bush supporters who would take offense at even the slightest implication that their candidate was anything but a staunch conservative. Even now, they continue to stand by their man, and I find this to be rather perplexing.
Perhaps those who have pledged their undying allegiance to President Bush could answer a few questions for me, in no particular order of course:
• How would you have reacted if Bill Clinton had signed the Patriot Act into law and given the government sweeping new surveillance powers?
• Would you have criticized a Democrat president for signing a $26 billion education-spending bill?
• Did you feel betrayed when Bush signed Campaign Finance Reform into law?
• What do you think about Bush's position on granting amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants?
• Would you have tolerated a Democrat proposal for federally funded faith-based initiatives?
• What would your reaction have been if a Democrat had said, "No one should have to pay more than a third of their income to the federal government"?
• What do you think about the president's granting of Permanent Most Favored Nation status to China?
• What's the difference between Bush and the Democrats on the issue of farm subsidies?
• How would you react if a Democrat president sent a $2.13 trillion budget to Congress?
• Would you have stood for a Democrat saying "No!" to arming airline pilots?
• What would your reaction have been if a Democrat had pushed for the federalization of airport security?
• Are you willing to stand by and let the Bush administration cater to the environmentalists on the global warming issue?
• What do you think about Bush's call for a Patient's Bill of Rights?
• What one thing has Bush done that sets him apart from the Democrats?
• It's been a year-and-a-half since Bush took office. When do we start to see a decrease in the size and scope of government? For that matter, when do we start to see even a remote indication that this administration will think about doing anything to try to limit the federal government?
This list is by no means exhaustive, but I would really be interested in some answers. Perhaps it would help shed some light on the mindset of modern compassionate conservatives.
The fact that a Republican president is governing like a Democrat isn't surprising. What's amazing to me is that there are a few select Bush supporters out there who cannot—or will not—utter one word of criticism against their president for any reason. In their minds this man is the epitome of conservatism, and to question his actions would be to question their own beliefs and cause them to wonder why they supported him in the first place.
The way I see it there can only be two explanations for this: 1) these people really and truly believe in what Bush is doing, or 2) they do not wish to face up to the real reason they voted for him — he was simply a slightly more palatable choice than Al Gore.
Unless by "he" you're referring to someone other than George W. Bush, I just posted the evidence to contradict your assertion. During GW Bush's campaign, George Will asked him about CFR...it's all right there. I'm not going to repeat the quote since it's posted above.
Conservatives are the base, if 17% of the base voted for algor over Dubya Bush I will come and wax your car.
And, we may as well just give up any hope of a Conservative Government.
(No Conservative voted for algor, period. It's a conflict in terms.)
Sigh. Bush stated he would veto unconstitutional legislation. Bush stated the CFR bill he signed had provisions which he felt were unconstitutional. You can put the rest together, I trust.
And you and I both know that the bill that arrived on his desk was NOT the bill Russert asked him about.
He repeatedly said campaign finance NEEDED to be reformed and he had his own ideas.
One down and many more DU disruprtors to go :-)
He is the president of ALL the people, and, much as you'd like him not to, he has to take everybody's wants into consideration.
Judging from some of the messages here, there are people who seem to think Bush was elected to be their own personal president to push their own personal, nit picky agenda and nothing else.
It's just amazing to see some of these posters blow a gasket everytime there's a report that Bush does or says something they don't personally approve of.
Spoiled brats.
We try sometimes. For me, it's all about respect, trust, and the manner in which he speaks, plain, simple with deep love for his country and her people. He respects his oath of office and he respects everyday hardworking American people who make this country work. I think that is why he wants to reach out to all. It's about his love and respect towards God, his family, the oval office.
It's about his deep sense of duty and responsibility to protect our country.
And all of these leftward things that he has approved are small when compared to the critical and urgent magnitude of our war against terrorism. America must prevail. We must win. Full Victory - nothing else. No choice in the matter. If we don't win there won't be any discussion with bin Laden about a Patient's Bill of Rights, or any discussions about rights.
Well, you have a short memory then. And, no I am not goign to go dig up links for you.
Four that I remember off the top of my head are pulling UN abortion funding, SDI, Koyoto and his response to 9/11 (the bush doctrine)
And if debate is fine, how come the bots are rolling it up and moving on to another forum exactly?
That's smart strategy. You must work at a think tank.
So on MTP he either misspoke or misrepresented his position. Alternatively, he either misspoke or misrepresented his concerns that the final bill was unconstitutional.
You wanted the evidence, I gave it to you. If you refuse to read the plain English posted there's not much more I can do.
I never said he was Fufkin.
Yeah, I saw a bunch back in #394. They are all over the place.
I dunno.. What are you offering?
Whatever happened to bashing the DemocRATS -- daschle, leahy, gephardt. More time has been spent bashing Bush and his supporters than the RATS lately!
Number one the Republicans have always held the advantage on HARD money, not Soft. The premise of the question is incorrect. The CFR bill was re-written twice from the time of that "interview" and the final product was very much in line with Bush's campaign proposal that Howlin linked to. That included very severe restrictions on democrat’s soft money advantage and doubled the GOP advantage in hard money contributions. Nice try but no cigar.
These nattering nabobs have come to a gun fight with a knife.
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