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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: Cultural Jihad
Gee, tpaine, this is the SECOND new registrant today whose very FIRST post went to, of all the thousands of FReepers .... to you! What are the odds of such an unhappy event happening twice in the same day?! Visine Eye Drop is NCFBTN, and we hope Angus doesn't follow suit. LOL.




Gee cultist, figure that.

-- Yep, - Visine was an old antifreeper, like you, just as you guessed. -- You probably even know who she is, from the UTA days.
She won't fess up to me.
As to WHY all you FR hateing trolls like to pester me, -- I can only surmise its like moths to the flame. - Flies to the sh - er, - to honey.

But please apologise to 'angus'. You made uncalled for inference in his case.

1,741 posted on 06/23/2002 9:08:26 PM PDT by tpaine
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To: Dane
a declaration that the second amendment is an individual right.

Not really. Ashcroft continued to say that if the government had a "compelling interest" it could regulate and basically infringe upon the right if need be. His opinion mirrors Chuck Schumer's almost to the letter.

1,742 posted on 06/23/2002 9:09:07 PM PDT by Demidog
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To: Angus Deayton
Just jump right in, Angus. There are tons of threads and discussions available. You can post to your own profile page to share with others any interests or philosophy for others to read. Your first post was noteworthy in that rudeness has become an issue among some, which you can read being discussed along this very long thread.

1,743 posted on 06/23/2002 9:09:41 PM PDT by Cultural Jihad
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To: Luis Gonzalez
"God gave us free will, I guess that He trusted us..."

He gave us choice because He doesn't want robots. He knew how far our free choice would carry us, however. That is why He also knew that we would need help to make it.

1,744 posted on 06/23/2002 9:10:10 PM PDT by Don Myers
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To: Angus Deayton
"Not sure how it works here..."

It's a free-fer-all, mostly, but if you stick around long enough, you'll discover certain posters have definite MO's, and your respect/tolerance for those debate techniques often colors your willingness to give their opinions credence. On top of that, we all have our good days and our bad.

Welcome...MUD

1,745 posted on 06/23/2002 9:13:19 PM PDT by Mudboy Slim
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Comment #1,746 Removed by Moderator

To: Angus Deayton
Welcome to Free Republic, AD. Some of the participants at FR also anonymously moderate the forum using a generic sign-in name.

No one knows who they are under their normal screen ID's. If you want to retain your membership here, your best bet is probably to follow the rules of the forum as laid out by Jim (and enforced by the mods) and try not to tread on anyone.

Hope this helps.

1,747 posted on 06/23/2002 9:14:53 PM PDT by unsycophant
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To: unsycophant
We thank you for your post. The "we" is just my particular use of the first person singular. That others might find the statistical anomaly interesting was the only reason these other fine people were pinged.

1,748 posted on 06/23/2002 9:16:03 PM PDT by Cultural Jihad
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To: tpaine
"As to WHY all you FR hateing trolls like to pester me..."

LOL...ahem, my FRiend, be the honey to the flies.

FReegards...MUD

1,749 posted on 06/23/2002 9:16:28 PM PDT by Mudboy Slim
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To: Mudboy Slim; tpaine
JimRob's got no responsibility in steering FR's various factions to a Common Goal!!

Of course he does. He has the ban button and is quite liberal with its application. If he squelches dissenting opinions (often) then the direction of the forum is most certainly shaped with his hand.

There are some who inappropriately knock dissent of the Bush Administration policies as "Bush Bashing."

Not all criticism is "bashing."

1,750 posted on 06/23/2002 9:17:13 PM PDT by Demidog
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Comment #1,751 Removed by Moderator

To: Cultural Jihad
Physician, heal thyself.
1,752 posted on 06/23/2002 9:20:58 PM PDT by Demidog
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To: Mudboy Slim
>>>... still too many folks out there willing to allow Clinton to go free despite committing a multitude of crimes that would have any of the rest of us in the pokey 'til the day we die, but that's another thread!!

Truth is Mud, there's about 5-6 RINO`s that you can blame for letting der schlickmeister get away scot-free. Yea, I know impeachment is a black mark, but we had him in our crosshairs and let him get go. I don't remember their names off hand, but they did the nation a serious injustice.

>>>Yes, my FRiend, but without his Conservative base, he may not have even fended off McCain...sure, we need to expand our base, but we can do so while simultaneously championing conservative legislation. Maybe that's what Dubyuh's been planning all along as he signs off on all this Milquetoast Moderate legislation in the short-term...

Bushes conservative base is still hanging tough and for good reason. Most of them know what the alternative is. I watched Mass. Senator John Kerry tonight on a replay of MTP. This guy is very scary Mud. He votes with FatTeddyK, 100% of the time and is a hard core BIG GOV'T liberal. If he ever was elected POTUS, he'd be raising taxes and increasing the federal spending all over the place. Clinton at least understood how to get along with Congressional Republicans, to give the impression he was working for the American people. But I guarantee you, in my best Justin Wilson immitation, if Clinton had a Democrat Congress, things would ahve been alot different Mud. Guaranteed! No bout a-doubt it.

1,753 posted on 06/23/2002 9:21:17 PM PDT by Reagan Man
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To: unsycophant
The cultist is using the imperial 'we' of the wannabe in crowd.

Last night, JR was defending SOME of our presidents position, - a thankless task, - and all the sycophantic suckups assumed he was backing them personally. - Shades of the old covens basic mistake.


They'll learn again, the hard way.
1,754 posted on 06/23/2002 9:21:41 PM PDT by tpaine
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To: Mudboy Slim
Business is good. FRmail me your address again. Thanks.

CLAVE-Conservative Libertarians Are Very Enlightened.

Y'all bustin on tpaine better have another look. What may appear rude to you is percieved by others as simply an expression of frustration. If the current Bush dynasty has anything in common with the past Bush adnministration, conservatives better hold onto their wallets. You can read my lips. Fact is, I have ears and won't be reading anybody's lips, but rather, their committment to liberty and our constitution. And when they stray, they'll be reading mine.

1,755 posted on 06/23/2002 9:22:19 PM PDT by budwiesest
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To: Cultural Jihad
This one is just too cute for words. LMAO
1,756 posted on 06/23/2002 9:23:03 PM PDT by Texasforever
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To: budwiesest; Southflanknorthpawsis; Amelia; ned
CLAVE-Conservative Libertarians Are Very Enlightened.

Thanks, bud. Just wanted to show this to the others, and see what they think. LOL!

1,757 posted on 06/23/2002 9:24:35 PM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
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To: tpaine
They'll learn again, the hard way.

Now I get it. You run the show around here. ROFLMAO

1,758 posted on 06/23/2002 9:25:43 PM PDT by Texasforever
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To: tpaine
They'll learn again, the hard way.

Are you threatening us, Pain? Forgive me if I didn't notice your magic Freeper shield that makes you special and guarded.

I think it's too late to walk on eggshells since the floor is already littered. But you almost had me frightened. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!!!!

1,759 posted on 06/23/2002 9:27:27 PM PDT by Southflanknorthpawsis
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To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
No, they have not posted here; then have BEEN posted here. Then commented on until the usual flamers showed up!
1,760 posted on 06/23/2002 9:28:17 PM PDT by dcwusmc
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