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Conservatives, Cut Bush Slack
The Chicago Sun-Times ^ | June 22, 2002 | Thomas Roeser

Posted on 06/22/2002 9:46:05 AM PDT by quidnunc

This summer will mark the 47th year since I took my first Republican job: as public relations director for the party in Minnesota. Since then I have rarely strayed from politics, or my party. I served as a staffer to two GOP congressmen, to a GOP governor, as a federal appointee to Richard Nixon and as a corporate executive who supported in Washington and Springfield much, if not all, of the Republican agenda.

You can describe me as a conservative. Thus I am qualified to say that although I dearly love conservatives, they tend to be querulous, disagreeable and threaten revolt when Republican office-holders don't please them. So it is now with George W. Bush. Here is a president who has surprised us all with the firmness and resolve he showed after 9/11. I must tell you I voted for him with less enthusiasm than I had for many of his predecessors. But his administration has pleased me often — most notably on two issues: defense of America and social policy.

Yet, Bush has to get re-elected in a country that is evenly divided on philosophy. Thus he must occasionally — on matters that sometimes offend conservatives — dip into the other side's ideology for support. He has done so on three notable occasions: on the issue of steel protectionism, where he departed his free-market proclamations; on the signing of a campaign finance bill tailored by his enemies, and allowing his attorney general (in the words of Libertarian Nat Hentoff in the Washington Times) "to send disguised agents into religious institutions, libraries and meetings of citizens critical of government policy without a previous complaint, or reason to believe that a crime has been committed."

In a perfect political world, where conservatives are in the majority, these things would be sufficient to encourage a boycott of the polls. Either that or a protest vote for the Democratic opposition. But we are not in a perfect world. We conservatives have a president who didn't receive a majority of the votes, and has one house of Congress against him. He must make compromises to get re-elected. Conservatives who do not understand the nature of politics ought to stay in their air-conditioned ivory towers and refrain from political activity altogether. If they cannot adjudge the stakes in this election and the difference between Bush and an Al Gore or a John Kerry (D-Mass.) or a Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), they are foolish indeed.

-snip-

To read the remainder of this op/ed open the article via the link provided in the thread's header.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS:
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To: AAABEST
AAABEST to Texasforever: "Sorry but you come off like a girl, a little one at that."

Then why did you post this?

To: Texasforever; RedBloodedAmerican

EEEsh, RBA just informed me you're a chick! God I wish you chicks would take chick screen names, I do this all the time.

Forget everything I said sweetcheeks, you have my apologies.

815 posted on 6/23/02 12:10 AM Eastern by AAABEST

Y'all are starting to sound like you've had one too many at the juke joint....maybe time to call it a night?

1,001 posted on 06/22/2002 10:40:03 PM PDT by Amelia
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To: All
I asked Reagan Man these questions a little while back...and rec'd no answer..( for whatever reason)

Perhaps one or two of the big Republican supporters (at whatever cost) can answer them...I am really interested.

-----------

So where do we 'draw the line'????

Should we elect rapists or murderers...if they are members of the Republican Party..and could 'help retake the Senate'???

At what point do you say 'this far and no further'???

Must every single American 'prostitute' themselves in order for one political party (one which on CLOSE examination is no different than the other one) to 'control' government???

I have certain values and beliefs...based upon my Belief in God.

Should I just throw those Beliefs and Values away...and close my eyes....just so the Republicans can win???

The basis of this Nation is a hardcore belief that the values and ideals (sorry to use that word..ideals...seems that word anymore has the same effect on Republicans as a Cross does to evil) that founded this Nation are important....

Thanks in advance...

redrock

1,002 posted on 06/22/2002 10:40:25 PM PDT by redrock
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To: Texasforever

Or to prove how little one loves her or has any regard for her to be used as a debating prop for strangers to gawk at.

1,003 posted on 06/22/2002 10:40:28 PM PDT by Cultural Jihad
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To: Joe Hadenuf
I have been having a bit of fun with this old article by replacin Bush's name with that of another very well know Prsident around here...the Gipper himself. It just goes to show that the far-right never changes

The Bush Enigma
How then can one explain George W. Bush, the man on whom so many Americans placed such great hope? All we can say is that there are several theories to choose from, all of which fall in the realm of speculation.

One theory holds that he is a good man with fine instincts and excellent intentions, but is such a hater of confrontation that he has effectively been steamrolled by the non-conservatives who surround him.

Another theory holds that he was never a real conservative in the first place, but i8 a very capable orator who can read a good speech and produce a convincing image. The United Republicans of Texas published such a view after having experienced all of the years that George W. Bush governed their state.(37)

One individual who shares the view that Mr. Bush's political effect has never been conservative is Thomas Gale Moore of Stanford University's Hoover Institution. In a syndicated column appearing in, (38) he discussed the much-publicized Bush plans to cut spending and reduce bureaucratic regulation. But Mr. Moore then cautioned:

Skeptics find President Bush's record as governor, often alluded to during the campaign, far from reassuring, especially since he used much the same rhetoric during his gubernatorial campaigns as appeared later during his campaign for the presidency.

While in Austin, he converted the state income tax into one of the most progressive in the nation, introduced withholding taxes, raised sales taxes, and sharply increased taxes on business.

While he was in office, Texas government expenditures increased faster than was typical of other states. Notwithstanding his campaign rhetoric, welfare expenditures alone escalated 61 percent in real terms during his two terms as governor.

That is hardly a record that should merit the label "conservative."


1,004 posted on 06/22/2002 10:41:37 PM PDT by Texasforever
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To: Twodees
How come Virginia has no true blue conservatives as you define it with money whom are willing to part with it to assist a true blue candidate get his or her message out, so that this personage can win a primary, and then sweep in to victory and power, so that Virginia can once again reclaim its glorious heritage?
1,005 posted on 06/22/2002 10:41:42 PM PDT by Torie
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To: agrandis
I have no idea whether they will or not. I hope they do. I fully support the war against terrorism. People who wrap themselves in bombs in order to kill innocent people or who hijack airliners, etc, and crash them into buildings full of people obviously do not wish to live, do not deserve to live, and should not be walking among the living.
1,006 posted on 06/22/2002 10:42:21 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
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To: agrandis
Don't let the door hit ya on the way out.
1,007 posted on 06/22/2002 10:42:27 PM PDT by Roscoe
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To: Uncle Sham
Well I reside in J.C. Watts district and Jim Inhofe is my Senator who is up for re-election. My State Rep is Thad Balkman who just got the Life license plates through the House along with a moment of silence in the schools. Here in Oklahoma we know how to elect conservatives. At one time this State was very DemocRAT and now with all good fortune the Republicans will take over the State Legislature this time and elect Steve Largent our Governor.

When we Take Back the Senate in November, please support Sen Don Nickles from Oklahoma who is going to challenge Lott for Majority Leader. Sen Nickles is one of the most conservative Senators in the United States Senate and needs our support in defeating Lott for Majority Leader. We need you all to put pressure on your Republican Senators to Vote for Sen Nickles. Lott refused to take Sen Nickles with him on the last budget negotiations with clinton because Sen Nickles would not go along with Lott's compromise.

1,008 posted on 06/22/2002 10:43:24 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
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To: PhiKapMom
We did not have one candidate that could have stepped up to the plate and defeated Bill Clinton -- I didn't like Dole myself but who was left?

So true .. I too was not thrilled with Dole for President .. but I sure as hell wasn't going to vote for Clinton or throw my vote away and not vote at all

1,009 posted on 06/22/2002 10:43:26 PM PDT by Mo1
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To: Jim Robinson
No. You are the one making the claim that the Republicans are the big bad globalists.

Where in my post below did I ever use the word Republican? I only mentioned my disappointment in the President, who I feel is a globalist. I do however, feel there is little difference between the two beltway parties.

I too recognize that he is on the campaign trail and his chances are possibly good at this point. Given that most Americans seem more concerned with basketball games and soccer, his chances may be very good.

However, I am extremely disappointed in the President, and in all likelihood, he will not garner my vote.

Jim, I must tell you that I do have a dream. A dream of saving this great nation from the globalist and others that want to destroy our country, our sovereignty and our freedoms.

You are dealing with globalist here, and I cannot support that. Ten years ago, I thought people that talked this "one world order", "globalist" stuff were kooks or cranks. Now I know I was wrong and they were right. This has become inordinately clear in the past decade.

This country was built and fought for by people with dreams of independence and freedoms. Now those dreams are turning into nightmares, brought to us by those with a global, one world agenda. One without borders or national soveriegnty, and with very limited freedoms.

1,010 posted on 06/22/2002 10:45:15 PM PDT by Joe Hadenuf
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To: Joe Hadenuf; Jim Robinson
You never answered my question Jim.

He knows your right Joe, that there are few if any Gingrich/Reagan types we can grab onto.

What Jim's saying is that we have to keep holding the fort until we can dredge up something or someone better. I can understand the logic but I just don't have it in me any more. I think things have gotten really bad for the conservatism and the country, I dare say worse than ever.

Thing is he and the other "realists" just might be right about how to go about things. We're all on the same side of the war, it's just how we go about winning it is where we differ. If you read JRs posts he semi-supports GW through his teeth.

1,011 posted on 06/22/2002 10:47:34 PM PDT by AAABEST
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To: Jim Robinson

I've already told you. I believe that liberalism is killing our country. I believe that liberalism is rooted in the Democrat Party. I believe that the Republicans are going along with it because they cannot get elected otherwise, due to the liberals having already indoctrinated three or more generations of our citizens with their socialist dogma via public schools and control of the media.
I believe that the only way to reverse this is to vote out as many Democrats as possible and then start working on voting out as many liberal Republicans as possible as long as we maintain control of the Whitehouse and the Congress. Until someone can convince me that there's a better way, that's what I'm going with.

959 - JR




There is a better way of reversing this mess than voting for Rinos, -- and you own it.

--- FR is part of the new media, and it's best use, imo, is in working against the liberal dogma you mention above.

Playing party politics is a futile game.
1,012 posted on 06/22/2002 10:47:46 PM PDT by tpaine
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To: Jim Robinson
People who wrap themselves in bombs in order to kill innocent people or who hijack airliners, etc, and crash them into buildings full of people obviously do not wish to live, do not deserve to live, and should not be walking among the living.

Not many people gonna argue with that.

Here's another: People that brutally kill women and children because of their nationality, do not deserve the use of our Air Force to do their deeds.

And another: People who kill their own children are not safe to be around.

Okay - goodnight, for real.

1,013 posted on 06/22/2002 10:48:01 PM PDT by agrandis
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To: Joe Hadenuf
I only mentioned my disappointment in the President

How could you be "disappointed" in someone that you "knew" was a terribly flawed commodity long before he was elected president, and whom you declined to vote for?

1,014 posted on 06/22/2002 10:48:07 PM PDT by Torie
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To: Roscoe
Glad to see you're glad to see me leaving. ;)
1,015 posted on 06/22/2002 10:48:42 PM PDT by agrandis
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To: PhiKapMom
A really good place to start is with the State Legislatures -- we need to elect conservatives to those bodies so that we can get good candidates to run for the House and Senate after they have some experience. We need to start locally and build a solid base and that takes time.

I totally agree...the legislatures are in most cases a mirror image of the situation in Washington. We have lots of great conservatives, but in general, they are in a minority still.

The first step is to make sure that the Republican caucus' are firmly controlled by conservatives...we have already accomplished that in many states, just as we have in the U.S. House.

Then we need to give them a majority.

Then it is incumbent on us to continue to build the ranks of incoming conservative elected leaders.

In actuality, we have been doing a pretty good job in this area for the last decade...illustrated by the quality of the candidates we have available. I've seen alot of crowded primaries lately.

Our bench is deep, and of high quality, while the Dems are forced to scrape the bottom of the barrel with candidates like Janet Reno... ;-)

1,016 posted on 06/22/2002 10:48:47 PM PDT by EternalVigilance
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To: Twodees
Chad Alexander our new GOP head here in OK is as conservative as they come. Oklahoma is the only State in 2000 that had the same voting machines and voting laws for every county. We may be flyover country, but seems to me that some other states could take some lessons on how Oklahomas has turned from a solid DemocRAT state into a Republican one at the national level and Governor's office and this year for the first time we expect to elect a Republican House.

We have the two of the most conservative Senators, and five of the most conservative House members. Of course, between Texas and here, I can only name one liberal teacher my kids had in the public schools which speaks volumes.

1,017 posted on 06/22/2002 10:48:50 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
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To: PhiKapMom
We need you all to put pressure on your Republican Senators to Vote for Sen Nickles. Lott refused to take Sen Nickles with him on the last budget negotiations with clinton because Sen Nickles would not go along with Lott's compromise.

I'll be calling if we win the Senate back .. I can't stand Lott .. that boy needs to retire as far as I am concern

1,018 posted on 06/22/2002 10:49:33 PM PDT by Mo1
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To: redrock
>>>I asked Reagan Man these questions a little while back...and rec'd no answer..( for whatever reason)

I reason I didn't reply to you was simple. You questions were asinine.

1,019 posted on 06/22/2002 10:50:08 PM PDT by Reagan Man
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To: Joe Hadenuf
America is a nightmare to its enemies.
1,020 posted on 06/22/2002 10:51:15 PM PDT by Roscoe
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