Leaving the legacy nobody wants

Washington Times ^ | 6-1-07 | Wes Pruden

[JZelle]

George W. Bush is looking for a legacy to leave behind, and he may have found it. His approval rating now hovers at 28 percent, but with a little more work he could leave office as the most unpopular president ever. He's not there yet. When Harry S. Truman left Washington in 1953 the pollsters said only 23 percent of his countrymen were still wild about Harry. (Adulation would come later.) Pundits, historians and others who track these things reckoned no president could ever match that, but George W. has a good shot at it.

Like Harry Truman, George W. is a man with his own ideas about who he is and what he's trying to accomplish. No one but an authentic churl denies his stubborn courage. Nothing rattles his determination to win a necessary but unpopular war in Iraq, or tempers his dogged attempt to sell an even more unpopular immigration "reform" scheme. Unlike Harry Truman, this president is doing it by scorning his last remaining friends.

"Those determined to find fault with this bill will always be able to look at a narrow slice of it and find something they don't like," the president told a clutch of immigration officers at a training camp in Georgia earlier this week. An exaggeration, but we don't expect precision from politicians. The president continued:

"If you want to kill the bill, if you don't want to do what's right for America, you can pick one little aspect out of it, you can use it to frighten people."

[ClaireSolt]

Evertime controversy arises we are inundated with annoying opportunistic trolls. So boring.

[nyconse]

I don’t dislike President Bush...I think he probably thinks he is doing the right thing. However, I will not sit quietly while my country is being destroyed by a disasterous bill.

[nyconse]

Honestly, I don’t think it would be any worse then it will be if this immigration bill is enacted. Expect government healthcare. We will have at least 20 million uninsured low wage workers. Expect higher taxes. Expect lower wages. the list goes on and on.

[driftless2]

"last person"

You are not the last person. I'm still a big Dubya fan even though I am strongly against this latest immigration "reform" bill. But everything has to be taken in balance. This bill (if it passes, which is doubtful) certainly detracts from his accomplishments. But there are too many single-issue people on this forum who can't see the bigger picture. I'll take Bush's overall record with the fight against terror, the economic legacy, and the scotus appointments against this ill-conceived bill.

[RJL]

Sorry Psycho... but President Bush is not a moron.

No? Well then, what's the intelligence level just below a moron?

[free_for_now]

you said:

I will never vote for another Bush family member.

My thought:

And why should you? There are 300 million Americans. Do we have to have a President named Clinton or Bush?

[Pikachu_Dad]

I still think Bush is the best president ever; after George Washington, Abe Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt that is.

I am not too happy with the proposed immigration plan - unless of course I can get myself declared an illegal alien for the last twenty years and a tax refund for all those taxes I paid over those years. GRIN.

[lonestar67]

Well said.

I feel someone bruised from online battles with those who see the President only through that issue.

[free_for_now]

I don’t disagree that Gore or Kerry would have been worse. For years, I’ve been an outspoken Bush supporter even when surrounded by Bush-haters. I stood firm despite strong disagreements with him on issues like domestic spending and entitlements. About the only things I saw eye to eye with him on were tax policy and the WOT. That was enough. Unfortunately, his administration is a bunch of bunglers politically. They manage to make even the best policy decisions sound bad and the Dems never miss a chance to magnify and amplify every miscue. They have squandered tremendous political capital when they were riding high in the polls and have made it nearly certain that their few achievements will be reversed by the next administration. Now with this immigration bill, I’ve got to say that I think he has lost it. It is a total sell-out. Maybe the results of this bill wouldn’t be so bad if its “tough” parts were being enforced by a tough-minded administration. That isn’t likely to happen. At this point I think it is a strong bet that we will end up with President Rodham. Think she’ll alienate what she sees as her constituency by tough enforcement? And now he is trying to sell it by calling me a racist. Nice.

[ronnie raygun]

” If you don’t want to do whats right for America”????? Tell us all Mr. Bush how is this right for America? How will the government be able to screen and control the millions who are here and will be coming here? The destruction of social scurity, medicare and medicaid, overburdening our education system, healthcare, crime, and terrorism? Is this what is right for America? Allowing millions of highschool drop outs to stay here with thier families who if they choose to work will never be able to put into the system what they take out. I have a feeling you know exactly what you all are doing to us and our country and you will do it whether we like it or not. You are all a disgrace to the great leaders who came before you!

[trebb]

Honestly, I don’t think it would be any worse then it will be if this immigration bill is enacted. Expect government healthcare. We will have at least 20 million uninsured low wage workers. Expect higher taxes. Expect lower wages. the list goes on and on.

I believe you are right - this immigration bill is the pits and makes no sense. My real point when I responded to Psycho-Bunny and his "Bush is a moron" statement, was that it could be a lot worse and we are just getting a small taste of it with the Dims in power in both Houses. Too many single-issue folks seem to be suffering the same thing they see in the President - they are missing the rest of the picture. Because of that, it is more and more likely that they will knee-jerk us into a Reid/Schumer/Kennedy/Pelosi/Hitlery nightmare come 2008.

Unless some miracle happens between now and then, our choices will be either just plain evil and insanely evil.

I pray that either Hunter or Thompson pop out front and have a real chance of winning it.

[mimaw]

I’ll stand with you.

[driftless2]

"that issue"

I'll agree with the critics that the immigration bill is a very poor response to a bad question. However those Bush-bashers who call him stupid should ask themselves whether Reagan was stupid too for signing the Simpson-Mazzoli bill in 1986 that gave amnesty to three million illegals. Or was Reagan just slightly stupid? It appears that even on conservative forums there are many people who have just one issue. In that case no president or candidate will ever live up to their expectations.

[lonestar67]

I very much agree with you.

I consider myself very strict on the abortion question but I cannot imagine acting in the manner that I have seen on the immigration bill.

[lonestar67]

I think a discussion of fascism may be in order.

To me fascism is a political definition of external annihilation. When a political philosophy cannot be without defininig others out of existence then it is fascist.

A person can hold a political view without requiring immediate surrender of capacities to disagree.

The reactionary nature of the immigration bill debate seems highly indicative.

No one may defend the immigration bill. It is amnesty and it is absolutely wrong.

There are some — perhaps you as well— who allow debate on the immigration bill merits. I see little opportunity to debate. Consequently, I see fascism.

I think there are clearly aspects of the immigration bill which increase enforcement. To even bring this up is seen as outrageous.

[varon]

I still tend to think he will be remembered as a Good president.

Good for nothing!

[cuky]

lonestar67 that was so well put. The bill cannot even be discussed here. An article is posted and immediately all you read are rants of “moron” “idiot” “worst president ever award” “traitor”. And this name calling is blasted not only at Bush but at any conservative that happens to disagree with one issue of the posters. Looks like what the Dims did to Libierman when they didn’t follow their one issue.

[nyconse]

I hope we can get a GOP candidate that I can vote for. I am tired of voting for the lesser of two evils sigh...

[Suzy Quzy]

Amnesty is not right for America....sadly his numbers will fall even further.