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.
Well, Bush certainly found a lot of time to lobby for things like the 245i amnesty bill that if anything runs counter to the aims of fighting the war on terrorism. And does Bush really need to "keep in touch" with the American people on a "daily" basis? I know Clinton had a yen for this but does Bush have to?
I am rather appalled at the complaining from citizens who seem to feel that they are being somehow robbed of some imagined freedoms from this effort. I do not agree with that take, but even if we were or are, it is the responsibility of each of us to sacrifice for the good of this country IMHO. My gosh, how could those of you who are so upset have survived WW2? They had the same rights you have, yet did not whine and complain when they had to make many more sacrifices than any of us have ever thought of!
You have yet to be told that you can only have certain amounts of food stuffs and must use ration cards yet. They did, and accepted it as their duty. I never heard my parents or grandparents whine about their freedoms being infringed upon when speaking of those times, in fact they expressed pride.
We are a selfish generation, thinking only of our own personal comforts while our military is out there fighting for our freedoms.
If you could ask any of those who died Sept11th what do you think they would say was more important? Your perceived loss of 'freedom' or the security of our nation?
I realize this is my own personal opinion, but you did ask. It is part of my freedom as an American to willingly participate in whatever it takes to fight this war on terrorism. Personally, I don't think they have done enough yet to insure that the terrorists are not allowed to strike again.
We are out of the world court, and no longer send foreign aid that's earmarked for abortions by the recipient country.
The Dems are screaming all over the Internet about Bush's military spending (sound familiar?), he's defunding the WOD and channeling the extra $$$ to the Border patrol so that they can do their jobs.
If you remove the offending section of CFR, it's actually a pretty good bill, bad for the Libs, which would put it right in that 75-80% range that we've been talking about.
Reagan signed a farm bill, Reagan also said the following about immigration:
And now, let me speak directly to the young people and the students here. I wonder yet if you've appreciated how unusual--terribly unusual--this country of ours is?I received a letter just before I left office from a man. I don't know why he chose to write it, but I'm glad he did. He wrote that you can go to live in France, but you can't become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Italy, but you can't become a German, an Italian. He went through Turkey, Greece, Japan and other countries. but he said anyone, from any corner of the world, can come to live in the United States and become an American.
Some may call is mysticism if they will, but I cannot help but feel that there was some divine plan that placed this continent here between the two great oceans to be found by people from any corner of the earth -- people who had an extra ounce of desire for freedom and some extra courage to rise up and lead their families, their relatives, their friends, their nations and come here to eventually make this country.
The truth of the matter is, if we take this crowd and if we could go through and ask the heritage, the background of every family represented here, we would probably come up with the names of every country on earth, every corner of the world, and every race. Here, is the one spot on earth where we have the brotherhood of man. And maybe as we continue with this proudly, this brotherhood of man made up from people representative of every corner of the earth, maybe one day boundaries all over the earth will disappear as people cross boundaries and find out that, yes, there is a brotherhood of man in every corner.
Thank you all and God Bless you all.
Speech at the Westminster College Cold War memorial, 1990
Now, some here may claim that Ronnie would have never said those things in the aftermath of 9/11, I tell you that they are wrong, he would have said these things in response to 9/11.
Ronald Reagan would have never changed his vision of America because of the fear-mongering tactics of a coven of homicidal maniacs.
To Ronnie, that would have amounted to admitting defeat.
Just so you know, stand watch listen didn't write the article. It's from toogoods reports.
It's not dirty, but it sure says a mouth full!
OK, let me get this straight.
I am a Bushbot because I am unable to think on my own, and I support everything the president does.
So, what "Dittohead" stand for?
I never said that. I think you support Bush because he is giving you exactly what you expect from him. You believe in "compassionate conservatisim" right? You voted for him, obviously you have a mind if you decided he was your man, and you agree with him.
"dittohead" is people who agree with Rush. right?
And you believe in "uncompassionate conservatism"?
Putting aside your personal insult of the President, Bush picked the best man of all, to be his VP. Dick Cheney might be the best VP ever. Heads and shoulders above Alan Keyes, in every way imaginable.
When it comes to the "sanctity of life" it is ALL talk with Bush and given that I have to wonder how much of his talk about the right to bear arms will bear pressure from the gun grabbers in congress.
You sweet talker, you.:-)
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