Victor Davis Hanson: Bush turns tables on Dems

JewishWorldReview.com ^ | Dec. 8, 2005 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Tolik]

Bill Clinton frustrated Republican critics. He passed welfare reform, waged a preemptive war against Slobodan Milosevic without either the approval of the Congress or the United Nations, and reined in federal spending. And so anguished conservatives had a hard time proving that, despite these accomplishments, he was a tax-and-spend bleeding heart.

Instead, they finally charged him with being a lothario who lied about his sexual antics. But he ended up with higher approval ratings than the Republicans who impeached him.

In the same sort of way, a detested-by-the-left George Bush has driven Democrats even crazier.

Take the economy. In Bush’s first term, the president ballooned the federal deficit. But that red ink wasn’t because of too little money coming in. In fact, the ensuing growth of the economy produced more annual adjusted revenue for the Treasury than had been produced before the Bush tax cuts. This year there has been a whopping 14.6 percent increase in federal income over last.

No, the real culprit was overly liberal federal spending in Bush’s first term. Not counting the war and domestic security, the president still increased discretionary federal entitlements on average by almost 9 percent a year — signing big-ticket items like the No Child Left Behind Act and a Medicare prescription drug bill. The president did not veto a single spending proposal.

So how does a big-government Democrat score points against a president who outpaced Bill Clinton 3 to 1 in increasing the rate of federal spending?

<...snip...>

[Tolik]

    Victor Davis Hanson Ping ! 

       Let me know if you want in or out.

Links: FR Index of his articles:  http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=victordavishanson 
His website: http://victorhanson.com/     NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson-archive.asp

[goldstategop]

Victor Davis Hanson says the Democrats are setting themselves up for a repeat of 1998 next year... not when they unexpectedly picked up House and Senate seats but rather like the Republicans who lost them because they had nothing substantiative in policy terms to talk about. Americans like taking on an opponent but they don't appreciate personal attacks. The Democrats' main problem is their rage, anger and hate. Couple that with the lack of a positive and forward looking agenda and they may face a wipe-out next year. They're still nowhere near to what they have to do to win the 2006 mid-term elections and their No. 1 problem is President Bush will NOT be on the ballot.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[conservativecorner]

"Bill Clinton frustrated Republican critics. He passed welfare reform, waged a preemptive war against Slobodan Milosevic without either the approval of the Congress or the United Nations, and reined in federal spending"

Hello Victor! It was the 1994 Election and the Contract With America that accomplished these things. This is completely wrong revisionist thinking, and I can't believe Victor would write this rot. But for the new Republican Majority in the House, none of this would of happened. He, like so many journalists are giving Clinton the credit where none is due. Thank Newt and the Republicans of the House for these things Victor!

[Tenacious 1]

Please add me to the Victor Davis Hanson Ping.

Victor just an outstanding writer. His command of the english language and articulate manner makes points very lucid and fluid.

Is there an archive of his writings posted anywhere. ?
Thanks.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

"Abroad, paleo-conservatives like Pat Buchanan think Bush is a neoconservative imperialist, and realists like George Bush Sr.’s nation security adviser, Brent Scowcroft, allege he is a dreamy idealist.:

Paleo Conservative Ping

[Rocky Mountain High]

http://victorhanson.com/

[TheRobb7]

I want in!

[Zuben Elgenubi]

He submits to Commentary Magazine nearly every month.

[Crawdad]

The dems are now talking about the possibility of not taking control of the House in '06. That means things must look really bad for them.

[mainepatsfan]

I think it was going to be an uphill climb for them even with Bush having low approval numbers. It's tough to out an incumbent these days especially in the house.

[calex59]

Thanks for bringing that up. I always get pi**ed when people give credit to Clinton for those things. He was spending his head off the first 6 months and letting Hillary be co-president until the congressional elections brought him and Hillary up short.

[conservativecorner]

You would think this happened 50 years ago by his and others writings. My God, we have the Internet if not our memories.

[Nonstatist]

It was the 1994 Election and the Contract With America that accomplished these things.

Yea they did, and Clinton claimed the credit since he signed off on it. Thats how things work and of course it was frustrating to Republicans from 1995 onwards. The slug rode the boat powered by Republican ideas and came off looking Eisenhowerish, even though he was corrupt and cowardly and averse to risk taking (other than sexually)

Hanson is pretty much right on the money, IMO

[rightinthemiddle]

Thanks, Tolik!

[WorkingClassFilth]

I agree with who did what, but I think VDH's being a little rhetorical.

Just my opinion...

Newt and company didn't get the approval of the nation due to Newt's brilliance or the people's overwhelming support for dynamic Republicanism. The nation was mortified by the audacity and naked anti-American agenda of X42, the beast and the RAT party in general. Alarmed Americans telegraphed their anger in the '94 elections due to the efforts of 2A activists, anti-abortion groups and the spectre of socialized medicine far more than anything Newty cooked up. With Bob Dole in the driver's seat, who could ever mistake his leadership with visionary conservative principles?

[rightinthemiddle]

Well, VDH is a Democrat...

[Tolik]

Links: FR Index of his articles: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=victordavishanson

His website: http://victorhanson.com/

NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson-archive.asp

[Steely Tom]

He was spending his head off the first 6 months and letting Hillary be co-president until the congressional elections brought him and Hillary up short.

Remember Marjorie Margolis-Mezvinsky, and the Republican side of the House floor waving goodbye to her?

Still brings a chuckle.

[Tolik]

Added to the list.

VDH bump