Questions about Bush's conservative principles

Washington Examiner ^ | 15 September, 2009 | Byron York

[TADSLOS]

How many times during the last eight years did you hear that George W. Bush was a dangerous right-wing extremist? Probably too many to count.

What you heard less often were expressions of the deep reservations some conservatives felt about Bush's governing philosophy.

Conservatives greatly admired Bush for his steadfastness in the War on Terror -- to use that outlawed phrase -- and they were delighted by his choices of John Roberts and Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court. But when it came to a fundamental conservative principle like fiscal discipline, many conservatives felt the president just wasn't with them.

You saw that throughout the 2008 Republican presidential primaries, when GOP candidates, while not mentioning Bush specifically, got big applause from conservative Republican audiences by pledging to return fiscal responsibility to the White House.

Those cheering conservatives will find a revealing moment in a new book, scheduled for release next week, by former White House speechwriter Matt Latimer.

Latimer is a veteran of conservative politics. An admirer of Republican Sen. Jon Kyl, for whom he worked for several years, Latimer also worked in the Rumsfeld Pentagon before joining the Bush White House in 2007.

The revealing moment, described in "Speechless: Tales of a White House Survivor," occurred in the Oval Office in early 2008.

Bush was preparing to give a speech to the annual meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC. The conference is the event of the year for conservative activists; Republican politicians are required to appear and offer their praise of the conservative movement.

Latimer got the assignment to write Bush's speech. Draft in hand, he and a few other writers met with the president in the Oval Office. Bush was decidedly unenthusiastic.

"What is this movement you keep talking about in the speech?" the president asked Latimer.

Latimer explained that he meant the conservative movement -- the movement that gave rise to groups like CPAC.

Bush seemed perplexed. Latimer elaborated a bit more. Then Bush leaned forward, with a point to make.

"Let me tell you something," the president said. "I whupped Gary Bauer's ass in 2000. So take out all this movement stuff. There is no movement."

Bush seemed to equate the conservative movement -- the astonishing growth of conservative political strength that took place in the decades after Barry Goldwater's disastrous defeat in 1964 -- with the fortunes of Bauer, the evangelical Christian activist and former head of the Family Research Council whose 2000 presidential campaign went nowhere.

Now it was Latimer who looked perplexed. Bush tried to explain.

"Look, I know this probably sounds arrogant to say," the president said, "but I redefined the Republican Party."

The Oval Office is no place for a low-ranking White House staffer to get into an argument with the president of the United States about the state of the Republican Party -- or about any other subject, for that matter. Latimer made the changes the president wanted. When Bush appeared at CPAC, he made no mention of the conservative movement. In fact, he said the word "conservative" only once, in the last paragraph.

Bush veterans are going to take issue with some of Latimer's criticisms in "Speechless." As an observer of it all, I certainly don't agree with his characterizations of some Bush administration officials. But looking back at the Bush years, the scene in the Oval Office adds context to the debate that is going on inside conservative circles today.

Right after the Republican Party's across-the-board defeat last November, there was a wave of what-went-wrong self-analysis. Republicans were divided between those who believed the party had lost touch with conservative principles and those who believed it had failed to adapt to changed political and demographic circumstances.

Bush's words in the Oval Office speak directly to that first group. You can argue whether Bush was a fiscal conservative at any time in his political career, but he certainly wasn't in the White House. And some real fiscal conservatives, with their guy in charge, held their tongues.

Now, with unified Democratic control of the presidency and both houses of Congress, we're seeing spending that makes Bush's record look downright thrifty. Republicans have again found their voice on fiscal discipline. And some of them wish they had been more outspoken when a president of their own party was in the White House.

[BertWheeler]

Bush didn’t redefine the Republican party so much as he led it astray. We’re not big govt guys and shouldn’t try to be.

[BertWheeler]

GWB equated the ENTIRE conservative movement with a weak political opponent like Gary Bauer? Gary Bauer is a great guy and he’s there for the conservative cause but he couldn’t compete with W on the political stage. Now though, books like this may be necessary for us to read because we’ve got some “course correction” to engage in as small government republicans.

The overreaching going on in the Obama administration may be a real blessing in disguise.

[dalebert]

ya bush failed as a conservative...but members of congress helped him.

[Night Hides Not]

IMO, Byron’s column should drive the final nail in the coffin of “compassionate conservative”.

[mysterio]

"Look, I know this probably sounds arrogant to say," the president said, "but I redefined the Republican Party."

"Redefined" is one way of putting it, I guess.

[Sudetenland]

Bush was never a "conservative" and anyone who thought he was never paid close attention to him and what he was saying when he began his run for office.

I voted for him because he was the only possible choice to defeat Gore and because he was a highly moral person. I never believed him to be a conservative. Only liberals like David Brooks ever called him "conservative."

On restoring integrity and morality to the White House I give him an A. On being the first "man" in the White House in 8 years I give him an A.

On judicial appointments, I give him an A. On taxes I give him a B, on initiating the Iraq war I give him an F. On pursuing the Iraq war once it was initiated I give him a B.On fiscal responsibility definitely an F. On immigration he gets an F---.

George Bush was a moderately left of center President with strong moral beliefs.

[Unrepentant VN Vet]

Another Blame Bush book?

Considering the things we're confronting on a daily basis from DC and the media, yet another book by yet another backbencher doing his little hatchet job on Bush/Cheney/Palin/whoever-is-now-on-the-hitlist is getting well past overdone. Not to mention a stone waste of time and paper.

I do believe that I'll place this tome on my reading list someplace behind john kerry's memoirs (whenever they come out).

[Rashputin]

People backing down rather than taking a stand had a lot more to do with Bush letting Congress worry about spending without getting in their way than it did with any core value he may have had. Were the republican fiscal attitude that was evident under Clinton still being espoused and adhered to by the House republicans, Bush would have been a fiscal conservative. From the vantage point of the presidency, the voice of the party is those they elect and the will of the party is what the elected fight for. With very few exceptions, republicans were fighting one another over pork not over which cuts or restraints were best.

Clinton looked good because of a responsible republican Congress, and Bush looked much worse than he really was due to an irresponsible republican Congress.

Regards

[Oldpuppymax]

Bush was FORCED to appoint Roberts to the court. Alito as well. Like his father, Bush is a limp-wristed, country club elitist...period. He is nothing remotely like a conservative, that being one of the reasons we find ourselves with Hussein occupying the Whitey House.

[McKayopectate]

I honestly believe that if it hadn’t been for 9/11, Bush would’ve led a very moderate ho-hum presidency and replaced after first term. I still respect the dude for support of the troops and fighting the fight that we needed, but I’m under no illusion that he was conservative. This doesn’t surprise me at all.

[Lou Budvis]

The day he nominated Harriet Miers I scraped the “W ‘04” sticker off my car.

[elpadre]

Of the Bush years big spending, does anyone have a breakdown as to the spending above mandatory entitlement spent in dollars or percentages. And then of that amount, the break-down between spending on military/WOT and social programs??

It seems to me that the cost of re-building the military and waging war were the big ticket items of his administration. But then, I have never seen hard numbers.

I have always supported the DOD and Home Security spending.

[Inwoodian]

Like a gravedigger redefines a corpse.

[randog]

Yeah, ol' GW did a bang-up job steering the GOP....

[jla]

The day he nominated Harriet Miers I scraped the ?W ?04? sticker off my car.

May I ask why?

[Bahbah]

This is a very good time for this to come to light and get an airing.

[Lou Budvis]

I didn’t vote and give money to his campaign so he could put his friend on the SCOTUS, who would’ve likely turned out to be another Souter.

[Above My Pay Grade]

>>>IMO, Byron’s column should drive the final nail in the coffin of “compassionate conservative<<<

We shouldn't discard the idea of “compassionate conservative”, but rather, properly define it.

Conservatives are the most compassionate Americans. However they are compassionate with their OWN money, not with other people's money like Liberals.

Conservatives encourage others to be compassionate, but generally don't try to pass laws forcing them to be.

Unlike Liberals, Conservatives have compassion for the unborn.

While Liberals have great compassion for vicious criminals, Conservatives save the bulk of their compassion for the victims of those criminals.

Conservatives tend to have compassion on those who have troubles that are beyond their control, those who have given their best effort, but still need help. Liberals are more compassionate towards lazy people, who have a strong sense of entitlement, and believe that other people have the responsibility to work hard to support them.

[what's up]

I still respect the dude for support of the troops and fighting the fight that we needed

And that despite an extremely malicious opposition.

I am also grateful for George Bush's unwavering support of Life, that also under constant fire.