Posted on 08/25/2002 12:50:21 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Recently, I did an interview with Focus on the Family in which I stated that pro-family conservatives are not motivated to vote in the upcoming elections in November 2002. While I stand by that statement - because it is true - I was contacted by a high level White House staffer who pointed out all the reasons he believes that pro-family conservatives should be motivated to get out there and support President Bush. Taken together, it is a pretty impressive list. I will mention some of the items on his list, but by no means all of them, for purposes of discussion.
First there is the passage of the tax cut and the effort to make it permanent. Then, there is the nomination of excellent judges and the defense of those nominees who are encountering opposition for partisan purposes. President Bush rejected the International Criminal Court. He got us out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and thus paved the way for a missile defense system. The Ashcroft Justice Department, directed by the President, opposed partial birth abortion in the Ohio case and opposed euthanasia in the Oregon case.
The President opposed human cloning and has pushed for the right legislation in the Congress to ban it. The President opposed taxpayer-funded embryonic stem cell research. The Justice Department has supported the correct view of the Second Amendment.
The President has pushed for energy independence. He signed the parsonage tax credit bill and the Born Alive Infant Protection bill, during which, at the signing ceremony, the President made the strongest pro-life statement coming out of the Oval Office in a couple of decades.
The President signed the Child Custody Protection Act. In the Prenatal Health Insurance Bill, he insisted that the definition of eligibility include the fetus. In the House he pushed for a welfare reform bill where marriage, work and the family are central.
The President rejected the United Nations Rights of the Child Treaty. He rejected funding for the United Nations Population Fund. He raised abstinence education funding to a record $300 million.
In addition, the President has praised single sex schools, highlighted the Boy Scouts, and condemned the Ninth Circuit Court's ruling removing "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance.
My White House friend says that the whole demeanor and atmosphere in his place of work has changed. He is right about that. No more pot smoking, condom swinging, late night liaisons with teeny-boppers at the White House. It is a dignified place to work once again.
Now, in fairness, all of this has to be weighed against the sight of the president and Teddy Kennedy working together to pass the budget-busting education bill that threw out vouchers on day one. And there are liberal holdovers at the Justice Department and others departments pursuing policies that should be rejected by a conservative administration. Moreover, the administration seems to have a weakness toward homosexuals. Not only have there been a number of high level appointments, but the Justice Department, under the leadership of one of the heroes of the religious right, had a so called Gay Pride event. The President signed into law the so-called campaign reform law which has hurt the ability of every pro-family organization to explain to the voters the records of the Members of Congress or the positions of the challenger candidates. Then there is the huge agriculture subsidy bill that undoes most of the excellent "Freedom to Farm" reform effort of 1996, with most of the money going to big farm conglomerates, doing little for the family farm.
And now the Department of Health and Human Services has ruled that the government can share medical records with employers and insurance companies without your consent. And HHS is pushing a plan to deal with 9/11 type medical emergencies that all but does away with any remaining states' rights.
Again, I could go on. You will have to determine which list means the most to you.
But of the many good things the president has done, almost no one knows about them. I was speaking with some Midwest grass roots activists, who pride themselves on knowing what is going on. I read them the list from the White House staff member. They were shocked. They had heard of only about a quarter of the items mentioned. If folks like this haven't heard the good news, it is a lead pipe cinch that folks in the precincts know less.
If the Bush Administration expects to motivate voters for this fall, it had better learn to tell its story, short and sweet. One way that might be done would be for the president to cut a series of radio spots to be played in states where the stakes are high.
But what the heck, my advice on such things is never followed anyway.
I know us Uberconservatives have been disappointed by W at many turns during his tenure.
But pause for a moment, and imagine what this summation would have looked like if Al Gore was POTUS.
What a sickening, frightening, maddening read this would have been.
That is, if this website was allowed to exist at all.
exactly! :: shudder ::
Many of the listed "victories" are verbal support for or against something - Talk is cheap.
When I step back and look at the big picture.....
this is what I see.
A bigger government, Higher Taxes, More federal regulations, and A total lack of respect for the Bill of Rights.
It's not good enough, Americans deserve better.
You mean the time release tax cut that hasn't begun to kick in, yet?
Then, there is the nomination of excellent judges and the defense of those nominees who are encountering opposition for partisan purposes.
Is he referring to conservative judge (Pickering?) who Bush turned his back on?
President Bush rejected the International Criminal Court.
This one is a moving target. He rejected it rhetorically, but substantially, he is still trying to preserve it. Although, Bush says he won't sign (he doesn't have to Clinton did) it, it is still there waiting for a sympathetic congress.
The President opposed taxpayer-funded embryonic stem cell research.
Initially, the President opposed embryonic stem cell research, but supported adult stem cell research. He didn't keep his promise on this issue.
The Justice Department has supported the correct view of the Second Amendment.
Although, a super majority of Americans support guns in the cockpit the Bush administration ruled no differently than a Gore administration would've.
The President has pushed for energy independence.
He did?
He signed the parsonage tax credit bill and the Born Alive Infant Protection bill, during which, at the signing ceremony, the President made the strongest pro-life statement coming out of the Oval Office in a couple of decades.
This was a huge win for conservatives.
If the squeaky wheel gets the grease, apparently conservatives haven't been vocal enough about their disatisfaction with the President's betrayal.
I'll give you this one.
"*pause for a moment, and imagine, is this as good as it gets?"*
In other words, It's not good enough for WhiteGuy, but of course a lot of people on FR know that even if W. implemented WhiteGuy's agenda 100% that WhiteGuy would still not be satisfied.
You are correct, talk is cheap, as exemplified by you.
I was surprised to see GW wield the veto pen, striking down 4 + billion $$$ worth of pork, while postponing a half-billion dollars of worthy expenses.
That took guts, kudos to him. GW certainly doesn't seem to be getting enough credit for it, which highlights his, pardon the pun, "deficits", as of late.
GW's PR skills have been sorely missing this summer. His speech in Oregon the other day, was the first time in months I have heard him be articulate, passionate, and with unquestionably sound reasoning. I sure wish he sounded like that when he is discussing the economy or foreign policy.
But it is now almost the end of the quiet before the election storm, so perhaps GW is just warming up to take the field?
"By nominating me, my party has made a choice to welcome the new America."
A new America or the destruction of all that we know as America? Because to be very blunt, I don't want to be Mexico, nor do I want to be South America, and I hold no value for a President that doesn't know or respect the difference. A President that doesn't see or care that what a real American holds dear, the Constitution, our sovereignty, our culture, cannot withstand such an invasion of communist voters, not to mention terrorist invaders.
I didn't vote for him to be President of the entire Western Hemisphere, and he sure acts like he is. I didn't vote for him to be compassionate to strangers, while showing a total lack of compassion for his own countrymen and the survival of our Constitutional Republic, not to mention our survival of open borders and insane visa policies.
He can keep his paltry crumbs, no one that loves their country and is concerned with it's survival will nibble on them either.
They had heard of only about a quarter of the items mentioned. If folks like this haven't heard the good news, it is a lead pipe cinch that folks in the precincts know less.
If the Bush Administration expects to motivate voters for this fall, it had better learn to tell its story, short and sweet.
PKM..... Info for your Take Back the Senate endeavor.
Well, for one thing, we'd be looking at a 40 to 50 seat gain in the house and perhaps 5 to 6 senate seats picked up by the Republicans. Oh yeah, aside from the paltry tax cut of 2001, we'd have pretty much the same liberal agenda that Bush advocated.
Now though, we're going to lose the house and the dem's will pick up even more seats in the Senate. At that point Bush is a lame-duck President who will sign almost all the liberal legislation in a vain attempt to get reelected.
Have a nice day.
Yes, brahs! Conservatives have to understand that you can't make law if you don't have a Senate majority. If the likes of Tom Daschle control the Senate Calendar, then you have to compromise and adjust your tactics somewhat.
Bush never has had a working majority in the Senate, even when Cheney was aroundn to break ties. It's time some of you out there, including Mr. Weyrich, understood that.
Keep the House and return a Republican Senate Majority and we'll be fine.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
UNAPPEASEABLES, all of you.
Bellyaching, griping, complaining is all you folks know how to do.
God, I'd hate to be in your households.
True conservatives are not sitting about waiting for him to do anythin for us. I think we only want him to abide by his oath of office and not do anything TO us.
True
Is it good enough for you?
"even if W. implemented WhiteGuy's agenda 100% that WhiteGuy would still not be satisfied"
False
Yeah and the moon is made of green cheese.
IMHO, if Bush implemented your agenda 150% you would still be whining.
If there is one thing I have learned about the far right(a term you will not disagree with about yourself) is that they are terminal whiners and see the glass as perpetually half empty. People who always complain about every minute thing about policy, semantics, the tie a pubblie is wearing.
IMHO, maybe the addage "talk is cheap" should be changed to "complaining is cheap" in regards to yourself.
"Well, for one thing, we'd be looking at a 40 to 50 seat gain in the house and perhaps 5 to 6 senate seats picked up by the Republicans. Oh yeah, aside from the paltry tax cut of 2001, we'd have pretty much the same liberal agenda that Bush advocated.
Now though, we're going to lose the house and the dem's will pick up even more seats in the Senate. At that point Bush is a lame-duck President who will sign almost all the liberal legislation in a vain attempt to get reelected."
Wow! Such optimism.
So, we should all vote for Liberals for a couple generations, let them totally f*** everything up, 'cause "that'll show everyone!" how wrong Liberals are, and THEN we would all vote Conservative??? Should THAT be our plan??
Don't forget to tell us where the Kool-Aid is.
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