BUSH PROPOSES LARGEST EXPANSION OF GOVERNMENT SINCE TRUMAN

CNN ^ | 6/6/2002 | President

[UnBlinkingEye]

I am watching President Bush giving a speech on CNN telling us he is expanding federal government more than any Democrat since Truman.

[UnBlinkingEye]

Yes it is the most extensive re-organization, since the creation of the defense department but IT IS NOT AN EXPANSION and your post should be deleted in the interests of accuracy.

You must be an 'elected official' no one but a politician could deny the largest expansion proposed in the last forty years.

[MozarkDawg]

How do you spell cockamaime? sp?

Close ... you've got your "i" in the wrong position. It's "cockamamie".

[discostu]

On threads like this I speak to the lurker that hasn't formed an opinion yet. If the only voice is that of the professional basher he naturally sounds resonable and correct. I present my side, which I hope is the side of logic and reason, to give the people reading a choice. I learned long ago in the dim days of BBSing that you'll never change the opinion of someone that believes something strongly enough to put forth their position in public. So I don't worry about them.

[VRWC_minion]

I suggest we abandon our role as globocop, mind our own borders and keep our nose out of other nations business.

Fine, you can explain that to O'sama and the boys and then we will all sleep better tonight.

[Lower55]

Thanks for the spelling.

[grimalkin]

"...defense has proven itself to be a valid national charge time and again."

Thank you!

[MozarkDawg]

Oooh a new cabinet guy and his secretary. Gosh that's major.

Bet that's what Carter sychophants were saying back in '78.

[Texasforever]

You must be an 'elected official' no one but a politician could deny the largest expansion proposed in the last forty years.

I take it back you ARE a liar and a stupid one at that.

[VRWC_minion]

With health insurance, prescription drug plans, paid leave, maternity leave, free housing, food stamps, SSI, And 1/2 off of first month dues in the Union.

I just remembered. We should be able to blame this whole thing on Algore. He did reinvent the gov't that failed to protect us back on 9/11 didn't he ?

[Teacher317]

Their main argument is "Expanding gov't for defense = good, Expanding gov't for sucking up to liberal causes = bad" (reminiscent of Animal Farm, no?), and they call you "simpleton"... just wanted to point that out so that you don't let it get to ya. =^)

[Lower55]

Play nice.

[Lower55]

Yep, right after he invented the internet and the wheel.

[Kevin Curry]

Some of us like our freedoms enough to trust our protection to God, and not the state.

Others of us are wise enough to realize both are necessary to preserve our freedoms in this corrupt and fallen world.

[Teacher317]

... while looking down your young condescending nose? You should work on being a humble man; you have every reason to be.

"Hello, kettle? This is the pot. You're black!"

[Kevin Curry]

You must be an 'elected official' no one but a politician could deny the largest expansion proposed in the last forty years.

You ought to blink your eye; get a little sleep. The mind begins to hallucinate after too many hours of forced wakefulness.

[tanknetter]

Creating new agency--stripping away good personnel, authority, and funding from large ineffective bureaucracies (for example--taking cargo inspection dollars and responsibility away from the Dept. of Transportation and moving it over to Homeland Security)--equals good business sense.

GW is doing a classic deal--a merger of sorts--reallocating personnel and assets so that they can be used more effectively--structuring a new chain of command to facillitate decision making ...

Actually, I think that what Bush is aiming for (besides tying up the Congress for the rest of the session sorting out the bureaucratic turf wars and making the Fall elections a referendum on homeland security) is a matrixed government agency. Take for instance the US Secret Service. Besides protection, they also handle counterfeiting. I don't think they'll ultimately end up losing that second function with the transition to the new dept. What'll happen is that the Secret Service will report to Homeland Security for protective matters, and to Treasury for counterfeiting.

Same thing with the Coast Guard. Why should Homeland Security have to deal with pollution control, lighthouses, buoy tending, etc? Answer: they'll still report to Transportation for those function.

Just goes to show the benefit of having an MBA (Harvard) and not a JD (Yale) in the White House.

[discostu]

The ultimate responsibility of the DOD and federal government is to protect the citizens and prevent and defeat foreign attack.

Wrong and right. The fed has that job, DOD does not. The founding fathers had a very dim view on the idea of pointing the military at people inside the country (unless they invaded), the military is DOD's job. We do have to come to grips with the fact that some of these terrorists and people helping them ARE American citizens.

I suggest we abandon our role as globocop, mind our own borders and keep our nose out of other nations business.

That's so cute. Wouldn't help and even if it would it's too late. We're the target because of our power and wealth. Even if these people are pissed about things we did as globocops (which they really aren't, most of our big activities in the mid-east pre-date that mentality) it's too late now. These people are sworn to destroy us, you actually think they'll give a crap if we crawl back into our borders? All that will do is blind us even more to what goes on in the outside world leaving us even less prepared.

[The Duke]

"Defense" = "cowering"

Screw "defense", I want offense!!!

[MissAmericanPie]

I don't think he's paranoid, if Homeland Defense goes the way of the War on Drugs, everyone is assumed guilty until they can prove their innocence.

Going on vacation with the wife and kids? If you have over $750.00 in cash and are stopped it can be confiscated. The "Know Your Customer" demands that your bank keep an eye on your use of your account, if you decide to spend ten grand on new furniture, you have to explain yourself. Any large deposits or withdrawals must be accounted for.

If you do business with a company, and spend ten grand with their business over a 12 month period, you must be reported to the government by that business.

If traveling with a large amount of cash, stopped and searched, your car can also be confiscated. Knowing what a mess up Washington D.C. is, that no agency in that hell hole works as it should, how can you dare accuse someone of being paranoid for questioning the end effect of Home Land Security?

[UnBlinkingEye]

Me: I suggest we abandon our role as globocop, mind our own borders and keep our nose out of other nations business.

You: Fine, you can explain that to O'sama and the boys and then we will all sleep better tonight.

Do you really think that if we were not attempting to rule the world the September 11 attack would still have occurred?