[Gelato]

Let's all face it. CFR was a terrible idea, but I don't think Bush showed himself a "democrat in republican clothing" by not signing the bill.

I don't think anyone is insinuating that Bush's signing of the CFR bill makes him a Democrat.

I'd have vetoed it, but that Bush didn't is not proof of his so called liberalism.

But it certainly wasn't a "conservative" thing to do, particularly when he admitted when he signed it that it was unconstitutional.

I like Bush as a person, but I'm increasingly disappointed with this sort of pragmatism. It really gets us no closer to bringing this nation back to its founding principles.

[nopardons]

Ronald Reagan was not only " pragmatic ", he wrote an interesting speech about it; which you can easily find in the FR archieves. Was President Reagan a Conservative or not ?

Barry Goldwater, OTOH, was never pragmatic, could NOT get elected, and turned lefty in his later years. Go figure. :-)