Conservatives, Cut Bush Slack

The Chicago Sun-Times ^ | June 22, 2002 | Thomas Roeser

[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.

[Twodees]

You're blind, boy. There's no way for you to see anything. I did enjoy seeing you reduced once again to posting your typical sputtering response when confronted by truth. B.A. really nailed the situation we face today when we look at the liberal, surrender monkey gang passing themselves off as "conservative republicans" in Congress. There isn't a thing you can say in response to his post.

Incrementalism is a sucker's game and the fools in Congress who hope we continue to let them play it are in for a shock this fall. You're going to be shocked as well, but I and other conservatives will be unable to enjoy your discomfiture. We're going to have to suffer through what you and your politicians deserve.

The grownups will have to step in and clean up the mess someday. When we do, you just sit in the corner and suck your thumb quietly, allright?

[Reagan Man]

>>>There isn't a thing you can say in response to his post.

I said it all, "Pure unadulterated horsecrap!"

The only thing your buddy B.A. nailed was a bad case of anti-American defeatism and your support for his rhetoric shows you're as demented as he is. You fringe extremists live on the outer limits of the twilight zone. You can cry wolf all you want, people aren't listening. Your philosophy and politics remain an utter failure and your desire for an America in chaos will never be realized.

When you pull your head out of your butt and want to engage in civil discourse, let me know. Till such time, you'll remain a misfit and a loser. A real nobody! And I will treat you accordingly. Now crawl back under your rock and rejoin all your slimy friends.