Brownie74 has indicated he/she believes Bush is dead set wanting this....I believe likewise...to the point of being a 1 timer like the old man....
That said, isn't it interesting that Phil (not over my dead body) Gramm and Dick Armey, both power houses from Texas have opted not to fight the battle against Bush by running again....seems like that should tell people something...it's common knowledge, you don't support the party, or the President and you're done.....I believe the handwriting was on the bathroom wall....
As I just posted on another thread, Phil Gramm says he is against amnesty but for a guest workers program. I think Gramm will go against 245(i). I hope so anyway.
Following your line of logic, that would be a good way for Gramm and Armey to get a last jab in at Bush.
I really believe he doesn't care about re-election. Look at the Progress his behind the scenes guys are making toward their goals.
There is usually an assumption that a Politician CRAVES a second term. Jr. is Probably Craving to get out. This is a real chore to him.
The consolidations necessary will occur regardless of which party is in office, and now it doesn't even slow down because a Repub is in the Presidency.
The old people I knew who kept saying in the 60's that the GOP would never be conservative no matter how many of us joined it knew exactly what they were talking about. When I saw thousands of Southern conservatives lining up in 2000 for the koolaid handed out by a Connecticut yankee pretending to be a Texan, it appeared to me that this world is just too ridiculous a place to be believed.
I hate to be so mean, but IMO, anyone who ever believed that Bush was a conservative is too far gone to ever really be awakened. They'll get a little ticked off, but come election time, their eyes will glaze over again and they'll close ranks, chanting, " At least he ain't a Dem". You watch. I've seen it too many times in the past 20 years.