"that same logic applies to campaign finance and to prescription drugs."
Yes, actually it does....here's what I see. GWB had to make choices on where he spends his "capital" or "clout" or power....he has used that unflinchingly in only two areas:
Fighting the WOT and improving education.
On other issues, he is a realist and goes for the best available option. Sometimes he comprimises while sometimes he just negotiates for better terms. Clinton was a waffler....we never did learn of any single issue he would go to the wall for....remember welfare reform?
If prescription drugs and campaign finance were seen as political necessities, then Rove and Bush are not only not geniuses with inside knowledge and the kiss of the heavenly muse, they are utter fools.
No one except McCain cares about CFR. IF these guys think that was a political necessity, they are idiots. And even if it was political necessity, their oath is to the constitution...not to political necessity.
As for prescription drugs. The only people that want a new entitlement are people alread in the other party. And as we have seen (and all of us except the Bush bots pointed out time and again) the cost is already tens of billions over the original projections. This entitlement alone could come close to bankrupting the country. It is enormous. It was a horrible idea, socialism at its worst. And to boot, it didn't earn the GOP any votes. It never does. These political geniuses can't figure that out.
So...perhaps in their mind, this IS the same situation. Which just goes to show what a lot of us are saying. Quit putting in those stuck in calculation mode. And just put in conservatives.