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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
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To: Mudboy Slim
Feel free to read ALL my posts to JR on this thread.

I certainly have no intention of asking him to referee MY disagreements with others, -- for OR against.
--Thats me whole point, and always has been. - I want a level playing field for everyone. -- [within a conservative framework]

-- The boosters of partisan politics at FR do not agree on the structure of that framework. Thats the rub.
1,661 posted on 06/23/2002 7:16:02 PM PDT by tpaine
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To: Texaggie79
Moron? - What's the context? Where's the post?
1,662 posted on 06/23/2002 7:19:54 PM PDT by tpaine
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To: Dane
Personally, I think welfare reform is a lot bigger than the things you list.

Why is it you have to resort to name calling? Maybe because you're argument is too weak to stand on merit. Ah yes, that's the trick...when you can't argue the facts attack the person instead.

1,663 posted on 06/23/2002 7:28:03 PM PDT by for-q-clinton
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To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet; Roscoe
Good grief lady. - I made it clear from the get go on that post that I was speaking of posted items, -- columns/articles from 'learned' men.

Nit-picking is better left to clowns like roscoe. He works at it daily with a certain idiot savant panache.
1,664 posted on 06/23/2002 7:32:23 PM PDT by tpaine
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To: Reagan Man
RM, I'm a big ol' boy myself and I routinely call other men sir and mister out of courtesy, and not out of fear. You're a boring big fellow then. Say what you will. You don't inmpress me or worry me or even bother me.

Now this thread has become boring, so if you will excuse me..............
1,665 posted on 06/23/2002 7:35:18 PM PDT by Twodees
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To: Miss Marple
Personally, I think he is doing a pretty good job in keeping his promises.

I guess it depends on what you expect from the highest elected official in our land. Comparing him to Clinton I'd say he's doing extremely well on keeping his promises. Comparing him to myself, I'd say he's failing miserably. For some odd reason I expect my President to at least have the same integrity and honesty level as I do. Can you say campaign finance reform? Also to say he passed an education bill as he promised is silly--that was a complete flip flop. Go back to August before the election and find one Republican that outlined an education bill as Bush ended up passing. Review all of GW's speeches and notes on education and not one resembles what was passed. Vouchers were the only reason a lot (if not most) conservatives agreed with Bush on Education and it's the only thing that isn't in the bill.

I could go on and list a longer list of broken promises, but I'm not here to beat the guy up. I just want him to do a better job at keeping his promises.

I'm still on his side. For me, I'm reserving judgement until this years elections. Whether we win congress back or not, I expect a drastic shift to the right and a move to fulfill his broken campaign promises. Also if we don't win the congress back I'd have to say for the party his first half will be considered a failure. If we win it back, I'd say it was a resounding success. I'm not one of those wishy washy types that will change my opinion based on the outcomes to keep my self happy.

1,666 posted on 06/23/2002 7:39:31 PM PDT by for-q-clinton
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To: Dan from Michigan; Twodees
As much as I love John Engler (who I met at a Michigan State game), I don't think he could've pulled it off . . . as for Tommy Thompson, I think that the the ideological-purity freaks would've had a field-day with him . . . .

Twodees has a point, it's as if Bob Dole got the nomination because he had "paid his dues." I was only wondering if there was somebody out there that could've beaten Clinton in '96. Personally, I don't think so . . . .

1,667 posted on 06/23/2002 7:40:23 PM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: gunshy
The president has at his disposal, several law enforcement agencies which could be used to round up illegal aliens.

How? Look for the signs they wear around their necks?

I'm glad we have an adult for President.

1,668 posted on 06/23/2002 7:43:30 PM PDT by Roscoe
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To: Reagan Man
Why don't all you extremists, reactionaries and absolutists get together and just walk out on that political fringe a little more and jump off into the empty void of unreality. Face it, you're basically there already. Why not complete the move.

You're an ass.

1,669 posted on 06/23/2002 7:44:11 PM PDT by for-q-clinton
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To: tpaine
To: tpaine

Many learned men have posted to this board roscoe, warning that it quite easily could.

What "learned men"?

1385 posted on 6/23/02 11:16 AM Pacific by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
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This is the first thing I said to you. You claim you made it clear you were talking about "columns/articles"? I guess it depends on what the meaning of "many learned men have posted to this board" is. Apparently it means something different to you than it does to others.

Now, I've had as much of your condescending act as I care to digest - so just leave me alone.

1,670 posted on 06/23/2002 7:44:58 PM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
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To: ThomasJefferson
I was talking about you being the antichrist.

Don't worship me.

1,671 posted on 06/23/2002 7:45:53 PM PDT by Roscoe
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To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
Clave. LOL
1,672 posted on 06/23/2002 7:46:41 PM PDT by ned
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To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
In my reply, I made my position clear.
-- You then had a little snit. - End of story. -- Gladly.
1,673 posted on 06/23/2002 7:49:36 PM PDT by tpaine
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To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
"Many learned men have posted to this board"

You didn't expect better from him, did you?

1,674 posted on 06/23/2002 7:50:43 PM PDT by Roscoe
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To: ned
Clave?
1,675 posted on 06/23/2002 7:53:46 PM PDT by tpaine
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To: Roscoe
You didn't expect better from him, did you?

No, I didn't. There's no shortage of people without manners around here.

1,676 posted on 06/23/2002 7:54:01 PM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
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To: DoughtyOne
The only reason he gave to Jeffords was that RNC, NRSC, and Jeffords came begging for help with Jeffords race as RNC had other places to spend their money. So he did give but as soon as Jeffords moved across the aisle he went after him for return of the $10,000 PAC money as he stated Jeffords took it under false pretenses. As a Senior Senator, his PAC helps to elect Republicans and from all accounts Lott was supposed to step down in 2000.

As for the Impeachment, my wording was not the best. Senators Nickles and Inhofe were both appalled at the way it was handled in the Senate. Heard him more than once harshly criticize Senators that did not view the evidence and didn't want to hear witnesses. He said after reviewing the evidence that he did not have one doubt that clinton should be removed from office. The evidence to Senators Nickles and Inhofe was overwhelming that clinton should have been removed. My own opinion is that the entire DemocRAT caucus and the Republicans that did not vote to remove on both counts, didn't want to read the evidence so they could say he shouldn't be removed.

Sen Nickles is conservative and is going to be out there campaigning for Republicans to Take Back the Senate. He has made some very harsh comments about daschle, clinton, leahy, jeffords, and other obstructionists DemocRATS and what they are doing to the United States Senate.

You won't find a more honorable Senator to have as Majority Leader -- him and Lott are not on the same page. Reason that Lott didn't take him along in negotitating the last clinton budget when he went to the WH. Nickles and Inhofe voted against that final clinton budget.
1,677 posted on 06/23/2002 7:54:48 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
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To: Roscoe
The nit picking savant makes another one line zinging idiocy.
1,678 posted on 06/23/2002 7:57:26 PM PDT by tpaine
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To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
And some are the daughters of vets. -- For shame.
1,679 posted on 06/23/2002 7:58:46 PM PDT by tpaine
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To: tpaine
It's really just a secret code word.
1,680 posted on 06/23/2002 8:01:07 PM PDT by ned
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