I beg to differ. WE conservatives "paid" for GW supporting Specter over Toomey. GW still got himself elected while supporting a divisive liberal (R) in the Senate. The end result? This act signaled the direction of GW policies and agenda while further snowballing disunity within GOP.
"As angry as I was with President Bush for that, I wouldn't call him a Rino."
With all due respect, George W. Bush's Presidency was clearly conducted as a RINO. The very first thing he did was exonerate Bubba Clinton from any investigation; The second thing on his agenda was to hand the fat bloated Senator Kennedy his Education Bill...
Then he went on to spend our money like a drunken sailor - aka a Democrat, implemented social programs like a Democrat, refused to close down the borders/supported Amnesty for Illegals LIKE A DEMOCRAT, referred to the Minutemen as "vigilantes," was chummy (along with Poppy) with Bubba Klintoon(?!?), allowed McCain-Feingold's CFR to fly through legislation un-vetoed while supporting McCain-Kennedy's Pro-Illegal Immigration legislation.
The man's record reflects the fact that GW Bush WAS indeed a RINO.
The ONLY viable accomplishment we can attribute to this man were his two SC appointments - and even then he had to be excoriated for trying to ram the centrist Harriet Miers down conservatives' throats.
I can NOT wait for George W. Bush to go back to his old ranch in Texas, or new digs in Paraguay. His legacy was as 'The Nero of the Republican Party.' "President Barack Hussein Obama" is all the proof we need.
(BARF)
He was awful fiscally and regarding the immigration issue. BTW, on the basis of his speeches when he ran for office, I didn't expect him to handle them any differently.
His support of Spector came back to bite him a number of times (and I did enjoy THEM) but I do agree conservatives paid the higher price.
Still I wouldn't define him as a RINO. He is not on the same par with Spector, for instance who is. And I still would much prefer President Bush to a President Gore, or a President Obama or anything the democrats have to offer.
His second term was worse than I imagined it would be and you're correct he helped usher in a President Obama. President Bush should have done far more communicating with the American people, explaining the importance of the WOT and other policies he enacted, and used his political capitol far more expeditiously. Instead he wasted it.
That he could remain so steadfastly stubborn, thick and immovable on the issue of immigration, regardless of his pre-election stated opinion is a travesty. NONE of that will change with Obama, it will only get worse.
Thanks for your response.