HOW CONSERVATIVE IS PRESIDENT BUSH?

The Cato Institute ^ | August 3, 2002 | By Veronique de Rugy

[Uncle Bill]

How Conservative Is President Bush?

The Cato Institute
By Veronique de Rugy
August 3, 2002
Source

Veronique de Rugy is a fiscal policy analyst at the Cato Institute.

President Bush may be repeating the sins of his father. Although elected on a Reaganesque, tax-cutting platform, the White House has veered to the left. President Bush has signed a bill to regulate political speech, issued protectionist taxes on imported steel and lumber, backed big-spending education and farm bills, and endorsed massive new entitlements for mental health care and prescription drugs. When the numbers are added up, in fact, it looks like President Bush is less conservative than President Clinton.

It makes little sense to discourage one's core supporters prior to a mid-term election. Yet that is the result when a Republican president expands government, which Bush is doing. Also, academic research on voting patterns shows that a president is most likely to get re-elected if voters are enjoying an increase in disposable income. Yet making government bigger is not a recipe for economic growth. After all, there is a reason why Hong Kong grows so fast and France is an economic basket case. But you can't tell that to the Bush administration.

Administration officials privately admit that much of the legislation moving through Congress represents bad public policy. Yet they argue either that everything must take a back seat to the war on terror (much as the first Bush administration treated the war against Iraq) or that compromises are necessary to neutralize issues such as education. But motives and rationalizations do not repeal the laws of economics.

In less than two years, President Bush has presided over more government expansion than took place during eight years of Bill Clinton. For instance:

• The education bill expands federal involvement in education. The administration originally argued that the new spending was a necessary price to get vouchers and other reforms. Yet the final bill boosted spending and was stripped of almost all reform initiatives. And there is every reason to believe that this new spending will be counter-productive, like most other federal money spent on education in the past 40 years. Children and taxpayers are the big losers.

• The farm bill is best characterized as a bipartisan orgy of special interest politics. Making a mockery of the Freedom to Farm Act, the new legislation boosts farm spending to record levels. Old subsidies have been increased and new subsidies created. Perhaps worst of all, the administration no longer has the moral credibility to pressure the European Union to reform its socialized agricultural policies. Taxpayers and consumers are the big losers.

• The protectionist decisions on steel and lumber imports make free traders wish Bill Clinton were still president. These restrictions on world commerce have undermined the productivity of U.S. manufacturers by boosting input prices and creating massive ill will in the international community. American products already have been targeted for reciprocal treatment. Consumers and manufacturers are the big losers.

• The campaign finance law is an effort to protect the interests of incumbent politicians by limiting free speech rights during elections. The administration openly acknowledged that the legislation is unconstitutional, yet was unwilling to make a principled argument for the Bill of Rights and fair elections. Voters and the Constitution are the big losers.

• New health care entitlements are akin to throwing gasoline on a fire. Medicare and Medicaid already are consuming enormous resources, and the burden of these programs will become even larger when the baby boom generation retires. Adding a new prescription drug benefit will probably boost spending by $1 trillion over 10 years. A mandate for mental health coverage will drive up medical costs, making insurance too expensive for many more families.

Those policy decisions make government bigger and more expensive. They also slow the economy and hurt financial markets -- read the headlines lately? For all his flaws, President Clinton's major policy mistake was the 1993 tax increase. Other changes, such as the welfare reform bill, NAFTA, GATT, farm deregulation, telecommunications deregulation, and financial services deregulation, moved policy in a market-oriented direction.

Perhaps most importantly, there was a substantial reduction in federal spending as a share of gross domestic product during the Clinton years. Using the growth of domestic spending as a benchmark, Clinton was the second most conservative president of the post-World War II era, trailing only Ronald Reagan.

To be sure, much of the credit for Clinton's good policy probably belongs to the Republican Congress, but that is not an excuse for bad policy today. And on one positive note, President Bush has "promised" to fight for partial privatization of Social Security. Yet, so far, President Bush has not vetoed a single piece of legislation. Needless to say, this means it will be rather difficult to blame "big-spending" Democrats if the economy continues to sputter.

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Compassionate Conservatism Means Big Government

No To 'Compassionate Conservatism'
"Marvin Olasky, the former Marxist journalism professor who coined the term. But he and George W. Bush are barking up the wrong tree if they think "compassionate conservatism" is going to rally popular support necessary to effect the real change needed to turn this country around."

President Highlights Compassionate Conservative Agenda for Inner Cities

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If You Want Increasing Huge Government, Vote Bush

BUSH SPENDING BILL LARGEST EVER

U.S. quietly OKs fetal stem cell work - Bush allows funding despite federal limits on embryo use

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Un El día En El la vida de Jorge W. La arbusto

OPEN BORDERS

Bush's 'open door' slammed

"I told the Congress that I want to make sure that the Mexican citizen here is well-respected," Bush said. "And one way to do that is to pass 245I."

CFR - "I Believe In Free Speech"

Meanwhile, Back On The Farm

Bush Urges Congress To Deliver on Prescription Drugs For Medicare

• AARP Likes Bush's Prescription Drug Plan

GOP Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Advances in House - Another Trillion Dollars

Pig Book - 2002

Orgy At Federal Trough

Bush and House Republicans Push Legislation For Full Drug Subsidies For Low-Income Elderly

Bush Prepares 'Big-Time' Response To African Famine

Government Spending - War Against The Stock Market

Bush signs debt-limit increase

Bush Pushes Minority Homeownership

Bush's Food Stamp Plan Called Ethnic Pandering

Bush Wants Food Stamps For Non-Citizens

Worse Than Drunken Sailors!

Senate Clears Way For Trade Bill - More Spending

BUSH AND THE BIG GOVERNMENT GOP

Security Bill Loaded With Wasteful PORK

Senate Ok's $31.5 Billion Anti-Terror Bill Loaded With Pork

How Bad Can Things Get?

George W. Bush and Gun Control

Bush Pushes Gore Plan For Orwellian Government

Bush Backs Down From Immunity Demand - Caves Again

Bush administration has been "as bad, if not worse" than the Clinton administration when it comes to the transfer of sensitive technologies to the People's Republic of China

BUSH, G7 to pay $20 billion to get rid of Russian nuke stockpiles

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• George W. Bush Told Americans Before Elected That He Was A Global Warming Wacko

• Conservatives Angered by Environmental Provision [Bush pulls another Al Gore]

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Bush Won't Label Arafat A Terrorist

George W. Bush's Terrorist Buddy

"When peoplelose faith in their institutions they trust to enforce the law, justice is no longer possible."

Bush Caves On Airport Screeners

Bush's Latest Srategic Mistake

BUSH: NINE FORMER PRESIDENTS WRONG; CLINTON RIGHT!

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Bush Appoints Four More Homosexuals

Dr. James Dobson Criticizes Bush Appointment to the CDC

Bush Pushes $500 Million HIV/Aids Funding For Africa

Bush to Propose Another $100 Million Over Five Years for Education in Africa

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House Conservatives Budge on Arts Spending

Bush Cheers Government Support For Art

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GOP Leaders Spurn Right in Key Races

Laura Ingraham's analysis of yet another Bush betrayal

Bush decisions rankle conservatives

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Bush's Record Calls into Question His Conservative Label

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Bush is jettisoning his principles for what?

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GEORGE W. BUSH: CLINTON'S THIRD TERM ©

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Bush's Court Jester

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"Another way to make sure that we foster growth and restore confidence is to hold people accountable for misdeeds in the public sector."
George W. Bush - University of Alabama at Birmingham Alys Stephens Center - July 15, 2002.

NOTE: Do As I Say, Not As I Do.

---

A Bush administration insider has privately leaked word that a deal was struck between Democratic congressional leaders and the Bush White House not to prosecute Bill and/or Hillary Clinton

Bush Administration Lawyers Defending Hillary - Gratis

Bush and Ashcroft Justice Dept. Hamstringing Pardongate Probers.

Bill Clinton broke the law and the Republicans let him off the hook.

What we need is the tough Newt Gingrich back.

"As far back as April 7, 1998, then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich was asked on NBC’s Today if he were going to press for impeachment. His response: "No, we don’t have any evidence."
Source.

Al Gore Broke The Law and the Republicans let him off the hook.

"I don’t care if you have proof that he raped a woman, stood up and shot her dead, you’re still not going to get 67 votes."

Bush Says He Wants to Let Clinton 'Move On'
"Listen, here's my view: I think it's time to get all of this business behind us. I think it's time ... to allow the president to finish his term, and let him move on and enjoy life and become an active participant in the American system. And I think we've had enough focus on the past. It's time to move forward." - George W. Bush.

Bush Won't Dwell On Clinton Affair, "We're Moving Forward"
"B/S, Mr Bush. Clinton is a criminal and a traitor. We demand a thorough investigation and prosecution. Our Republic is dead and our liberty is at stake if the next administration does not clean up this mess for now and forever more. Corrupt politicians must pay the price for subverting our Constitution and using their offices for personal gain."
4 Posted on 01/20/2000 14:17:56 PST by Jim Robinson

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A Republic If We Can Keep It - Bush Trashing The Constitution

It's About The Republic, Not The Republican

How Big Is The Government's Debt? - $33.1 TRILLION

There Must Be Some Way Out Of Here

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"Not over my dead body will they raise your taxes,"
George W. Bush - SOURCE.

[deport]

I honestly had

Had being the operative word....

[Texasforever]

Reagan cut the regulations in the Federal Register in half early on. He won tax cuts that promoted investment rather than consumption. He also pushed for investment in high technology that not only helped defeat the Soviet Union, but gave us productivity improvements we still enjoy today. Reagan also used the veto. And as far as Reagan's spending went, he inherited a very expensive, cancerous, and non-productive welfare state. His military buildup was expensive, but we got our money's worth and his pro growth economic policies more than made up for it. But Reagan wasn't perfect. He did select a Bush for vice president.

He also had a strong mandate and a Republican Senate. After the democrats took control of the senate in 1986 Reagan caved into them on EVERY domestic program the put before him because he was concentrating on spending the Soviets into submission. Once again what in the hell did Reagan do to cut spending, privatize Social Security, or leave office with a smaller government than he had when elected. He had 8 years. Bush has had 2 years.

[terilyn]

Precisely.

[self_evident]

The tax simplification act of 1986 destroyed 30 years of tax planning and cut the rug out of what wasn't loopholes but designed subsidies.

Rockefeller, is that you? Glad you could join us. How is the country club?

[Twodees]

BTW...I was on that thread at the time Reg posted that information,

Yes, you were doing your yapping chihuahua imitation hoping to persuade someone to sue Registered.

there were several names posted, people who do not have a thing to do with FR, and whose personal information was posted here without their permission.

What was posted was a snip of several names on the voter's registration rolls from a publicly accessible internet site without addresses, just names and towns. One doesn't need permission to post such info because it's already posted publicly.

There could have feasibly been some legal repercussions to something like that.

Oh, do tell, lulu. Leave such proclamations to lawyers. You'll look marginally less like an imbecile as though that will help you.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Two words: Homeland Security - - Suppose this 'good man' has opened the door for a 'bad man'(or woman) to access? Perhaps only time will tell.

Like many I dislike the word 'Homeland', but the name 'Defense Department' was taken. In a war governments are called upon to do things which can prove dangerous in a later time of peace. Governments like the Confederate States which do not take such steps often find themselves without a later history to worry about.

[terilyn]

"What was posted was a snip of several names on the voter's registration rolls from a publicly accessible internet site without addresses, just names and towns."

Wrong again.

He posted a table where all of the links were live and all of the info could be accessed from FR by clicking on any of the names.

You weren't there. Your testimony is not admissable.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Ta-dah!!!!

So, 4'10"?

I say that you are actually shorter than that.

P.S. I am still waiting for all that information you were going to post in defense of the KKK's reputation as Southern gentlemen.

[Lancey Howard]

"HOW CONSERVATIVE IS PRESIDENT BUSH?"

About as conservative as he can be, given the parasite / taxpayer ratio in this country.

Fact is, the Scumocrats have had decades to breed dependence, laziness, and entitlement into a huge portion of America's population. They have it easy:
"Here ya go - - lots of free stuff! And don't worry about paying for it - - we'll confiscate the money.... from your neighbors."

Take a look at the kind of people who have been elected to Congress and try to tell me that the same mindless, soundbite-susceptible chattering idiots who regularly elect these scumbags want to hear that they are better off if government stops giving them free stuff. Especially when you have so many rat-faced liberal jellyfish manning the network newsrooms constantly telling the parasites that they deserve free stuff.

The situation is hopeless, my friend.

Regards,
LH

[kcpopps]

Bull! I was on that thread and you are a liar

"I guess you're calling the Admin Moderater a liar too then. Here is a quote from an AM post about the incident:

"Regarding the posting of personal information, that shouldn't have been done and a suspension was given. That said, there is no question that the poster in question had said he was going to post some proof, and the injured party had pretty much said go ahead. This may have been misconstrued as permission to post what he did. In any case, it was against the forum guidelines, the post removed, and a suspension given."

[self_evident]

Reagan's Veto Record

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

dd.. you kinda stretching the truth aren't you?

I call it lying. And it's pathetic.

[Reagan Man]

This article and the subsequent links provided, are nothing but more pointless attacks against a conservative Republican President, by that group of fringe extremists on FreeRepublic, who call themselves libertarians.

The Cato Institute has done some excellent analysis on government excesses, economic matters and fiscal responsibility. They should stick to what they do best. Politics isn't a strong suit of libertarians.

[Twodees]

Do you honestly not see what the problem is with doing this? Or are you so consumed with hatred of Bush and his supporters that you think anything goes?

If someone tells another person, "prove it" they had better be prepared to have proof posted. What in the world is this nonsense about being "consumed with hatred of Bush and his supporters"? Don't you realize that those are the exact words Clinton's supporters used every single time anyone was listing Clinton's actions online?

Are you sure you aren't a former Clintonite?

[sjeann]

I've been over there and almost any thread with more than 5 posts turns out to be all whining about this site. I'm really surprised they don't have anything better to discuss. Even here, all they do is seem to complain instead of defending their positions.

[Moonman62]

Once again what in the hell did Reagan do to cut spending, privatize Social Security, or leave office with a smaller government than he had when elected. He had 8 years. Bush has had 2 years.

As a percentage of GDP government was smaller than when Reagan arrived. I doubt the same will be the case when Bush leaves in '04. And I thought Bush gave up on privatizing SS as of a couple of weeks ago according to Ari Fleischer. And the important factor with SS anyway is what percentage of GDP will it be when the payouts come due.

[terilyn]

Keep reading. The point is that permission to post was granted. However, the discussion about voting was clearly about a Larry Klayman/Judicial Watch poll. It was a JW press release thread.

Therefore, Registered asking her if she voted, and her reply, could only have been construed by anybody reading the actual thread as a discussion as to whether she voted in the LK/JW poll.

Reg pulled real voting registrations and posted them. That was not what the discussion was about. And, permission to post personal info re actual voting registrations was not given by Howlin, nor by the other people who's records he posted.

[rockfish59]

I heard he vetoed his hole in one today.
He doesn't want to seem too competitive!

Let's roll?

[Twodees]

No, it was you who posted that i'm 4'10". I'm 6'0". Why is that important?

[mrsmith]

"engage me in a debate anytime"

Blowin' smoke as you run away, LOL! yep that's "Twodees".

Here's a debate even you might be competent enough for ( I'll type real slow):

These aren't the only two conservative forums, why don't you try to fill up ALL the conservative forums with your whining about Free Republic?