Posted on 03/25/2002 4:50:52 AM PST by JohnHuang2
Edited on 05/26/2004 5:05:21 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
LONGTIME Republican political strategist Rich Galen likens money in politics to water in the ocean: "You can put up dams all you want. Nothing will change the amount; you can only move it around."
That's Galen's reaction to the passage - and expected enactment - of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Howlin, I am curious, is there anything GW could do to cause you to stop supporting him? Perhaps the better question would be, is there anything he would do that would even cause you to even consider ending your support of him? It is not a trick question. I am simply curious.
Politicians definitely do not operate in a vacuum. There's a saying in Washington - under all
those buildings is a vote-counter and each night politicans huddle together counting up their votes.
I am not happy about a lot of his domestic policy, including the way he doesn't come out and support his own appointees and his own bills. All I can do about that is write the White House and the people I know "in power."
I'm not like a lot of other people on this forum; I don't look at each individual issue and say, "Now, if he does THIS I won't support him anymore." I'm not a single issue voter; I never expected to agree with him even 75 percent of the time. I don't even agree with my husband that much.....LOL. I'm just much for drawing lines in the sand; especially since I don't know everything that is going on here. As I have said before, a conservative with no office is of no use to me.
Just in the interest of fairness, do you ever ask the Bush bashers if there is ANYTHING he could or would do that they would like? ;-)
In this Holy Week, I'm reminded of the first post-modernist, Pontius Pilate's question: "what is truth?".
Indeed what is truth? If we abandon our principles, the very bedrock of our American system, the constitution, we are abandoing our claim on truth right along with all the leftists. So what if Bush has to join the ranks of critics of constitutional rights of free speech? Hey, everybody, we'll pick up a Senate seat in South Dakota! Won't that be great!
Conservatives are facing a real challenge right now as we have to reevaluate our man. I believe this post and messages in support of it are really an effort to "let the healing process begin." This idea that it is OK to avoid vetoing bad legislation that deals with our constitutional rights is not just morally wrong, over the long haul it is politically wrong too.
When we ourselves abandon the single document that lays claim to "truth" in our society, we have given up the fight for everything we hold dear.
I think most conservatives are appalled at this bill and rightly so. But now the spin game has ensued and we desperately want to believe our guy did not leave us at the altar so we need to weave these elaborate stories about how this is actually a GOOD THING.
Even if we make gains in the short term, the long-term damage to our credibility when making arguments based on the constitution will be hampered because we willingly gave up on our claim of our God-given rights as outlined in the constitution.
When we so callously dispense with basic tenets of the consitution, how can we return to it as the basis of our arguments to keep this country from turning to socialism and away from our heritage?
Well Dave, there is a time when in a camel's load the last piece of straw will break its back. This may have occurred for you. If so, so be it as it's your right. But to me I have to weight the options in this falls elections and in 04 and see whats out there. I surely would like to keep the House although I'll be fighting a losing battle in my Reps district as he's a dem and won't be upset, imo. Our Senate race will be an open election with the dems out to take the seat, so I'll definetly support the GOP. Then, in 04 I suspect it will be President Bush against someone like Daschle, Gore, Kerry, Clinton, or whomever and that thought isn't one that I believe I could live with myself if I didn't support the GOP ticket. So good luck in making your choices and I hope you the best.
BTTT
THANK YOU!
Is this truly worth all the fuss? If President Bush does veto the bill, the symphony of McCain, the RATS, and the media will be both loud and endless! Quietly, though, the RATS will breathe a sigh of relief if Bush vetoes the bill or if the Supreme Court strikes it down.
Since we must deal with this issue, thanks to McInsane, let it be forever removed as a subject for debate. If Bush vetoes the bill, it will definitely come up again and again and again, no matter who's the President. If the Supreme Court strikes it down, it's gone forever. Kaput! Finito! It's outta here!
McInsane will no longer have this as an issue. Then the best thing to be done is to begin a recall effort against him again in Arizona, just as we should urge the state of Vermont to recall Jeffords.
Those beating the veto drum are a bit myopic, IMHO. Let's get this issue done once and for all.
AMEN!!!!
I still can't see how you and those of your ilk can not only support Bush's running roughshod over my free speech rights, but actually criticize me for speaking out against what he's doing.
It seems pretty clear to me that you can't admit that Bush is not much of a conservative. He may be a "good guy" as my wife says, but he's acting more like a Bill Clinton-type, and you're acting more like a Bill Clinton-type supporter.
Take a look at the actions, not the rhetoric. I have been avoiding saying this for a week, but here you go: Bush lacks courage.
I know...I know...start attacking me or my credentials, tell me that I'm going to put Hillary in the White House, yada yada yada...anything that avoids facing the truth.
Rush was just talking about how more of Bush's campaign promises are now "flexible" since he's in his second year. I suppose that's okay too, right?
Who is being myopic? Did you hear Bush at his press conference in El Salvador today? He was talking out of both sides of his mouth. This is a clear departure for him and is the first time I have sensed his staff has put him out in front with an indefensible position.
He was suggesting that there are "problems" with the bill and that there will be legal challenges, but that he supports the bill. Anyone on this site who would argue that this is much different from Clinton's statements when he signed welfare reform is really deluding themselves.
Do I suggest that Bush is as bad as Clinton? No.
Folks, I'm a Bush campaign volunteer and have as yet not had anything but good things to say about his performance. But this is a BAD PLAY. He's out there making indefensible statements and counting on conservatives to hold onto hopes that the Supreme Court will defend the constitution while he looks the other way.
This is in direct contradiction to the "man of principles" campaign he ran and bodes ill not only on this issue but on his ability to continue to claim moral high ground in subsequent campaigns.
I'm not one to suggest that he needs to go about throwing elbows on every issue that comes down the pike, but for the sake of the country, our President had better be the one defending our constitution or our very basis for coming together as "one nation under God" will be corroded.
It is easy to suggest that anyone who does not look the other way on this stupid political move is shortsighted because of all the political booty we can win in November. First, let's hope you're right about November. Second, we won't have the basis to accomplish anything with this acquired power in November if we have gutted the constitution in the process. All we can set up is temporary little constructs that the next Lib majority can wipe out.
The permanence of the constitution endures. At least it should.
Finally, there is at least some chance CFR will get thrown out by the Courts, but the raise in hard money limits will remain.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.