I can understand what you are saying, but Bush's staunch conservative base is not as big in numbers as the status-quo of America who doesn't care about this bill, the media, and democrats. Sorry, but the true conservatives were really out numbered in this one. Bush figured that his base would pretty much always support him when elections come around anway and this way, he could avoid criticism by the media and democrats in the next election. This was a vote of convenience for him.
You are getting closer to realizing that a politician can never be too far from where the majority of the people are. Your disapointment with any politician is merely a symptom of your disapointment with the majority. (Even St. Paul knew this when persuading people to believe in Jesus. He always started where the people were and moved them from there. )
I happen to believe that Bush would move farther right in a heart beat if the population did so but it takes time or a crisis to move people to new thoughts.
Heck if it didn't the gospel would have been preached to all nations in the first year.