The George W. Bush Institute: Free Markets, Small Government... Since When

Publius Forum ^ | 11/13/09 | Warner Todd Huston

[Mobile Vulgus]

Get ready because I am going to slap George W. Bush around a little bit. Now, don't get me wrong, it isn't like I hated him. After all I voted for him twice. There was a lot that Bush did that I supported, mostly on the security and war fronts. But, I really stood against his domestic agenda almost completely. I was against no child's behind left alone -- er, I mean no child left behind -- I was against the bailouts and against the drug benefit for seniors program. I disagreed with his "compassionate conservatism" narrative because it really was just an excuse for a little less big government than what the Democrats full-blown socialism would have been. About the only thing he wanted to do that I supported, the privatization of Social Security, he never pushed hard enough to implement.

With that in mind, George W. Bush made his first major appearance before the general public today in a speech announcing the George W. Bush Institute, a new public policy think tank to be housed in the Bush Presidential Library at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Mr. Bush wants his new institute to foster free market policies, small government thinking, education, global health and "human freedom"... to which I have to ask, so where were you for eight years on these things Mr. Bush?

Read the rest at Publiusforum.com...

[Mobile Vulgus]

Bush has a lot to live down before anyone will be interested in listening to what his new policy think tank will have to say.

[K-oneTexas]

I agree ... wholeheartedly.

This is a backdoor attempt to bring more liberal ideas into the marketplace and the economy. The name is a shame, he has already provided his bona fides in this area.

It is not ‘Small Government’. Small on a gigantic galactic size maybe.

[sickoflibs]

I am speechless...

[Chi-townChief]

0bama and crew are making Ol’ W look pretty good right about now.

[rabscuttle385]

0bama and crew are making Ol’ W look pretty good right about now.

Stalin makes Mussolini look like a wonderful option, eh?

[stephenjohnbanker]

New lettering on the building:

Just doing the job Americans are unwilling to do”

[stephenjohnbanker]

New lettering on the building:

“Just doing the job Americans are unwilling to do”

[Rodebrecht]

On another note, the Big Bad Wolf has set up a foundation to provide housing for homeless pigs.

[sickoflibs]

RE :”0bama and crew are making Ol’ W look pretty good right about now.”

Nothing can do that. GW Bush goes down with Carter as one of the worst presidents in history... Obama to follow. Sad because September 11 gave him close to a blank check.

[woofie]

Take your BDS and shove it

[Wee-Weed Up]

Bush’s bad domestic policies pale in comparison to the Chosen One’s.

[JimRed]

I disagreed with his "compassionate conservatism" narrative because it really was just an excuse for a little less big government than what the Democrats full-blown socialism would have been.

Rush defines compassion not as how many are being helped by the government, but as how many do not need government help. I think he's on to something.

[sickoflibs]

Good post!

Pay no attention to the Bush-bots. They still watch tapes of GW from October 2001 and dream he didnt end in disaster.

“Bring it on” were the famous GW Bush words and they did, and did. Moron!

[djsherin]

I don’t know what to say... Bush left office with me feeling very resentful on how the last 8 years had gone.

[K-oneTexas]

Our politicians try tooooooooo hard to be alike and just slightly different.

Where are the strong of heart politicians that stand for the Constitution and ‘We The People’ ...

instead of the ones who want all ‘We The People’ have for themselves.

[Chi-townChief]

You can have Carter, Clinton, Gore, Kerry, and 0bama. I’d take Bush right now in a heartbeat.

[rabscuttle385]

You can have Carter, Clinton, Gore, Kerry, and 0bama. I’d take Bush right now in a heartbeat.

I'd rather have another Coolidge, not a Republican LBJ.

[Landru]

Brother.

No comment. LOL

[sickoflibs]

RE :"I’d take Bush right now in a heartbeat." (Chi-townChief;)

Yikes, you do love pain... I actually LIKE seeing democrats poll numbers drop after 4 years of going up. I actually like seeing voters mad at democrats instead of republicans. I actually like seeing democrats responsible for something instead of republicans for everything (for eight years).

Having everyone hate republicans, conservatives, capitalists, freedom was getting old, but to each his own..

[Chi-townChief]

Of course - I would too. But with Bush, at least we would be trying to get tax cuts to “stimulate” the economy rather than Barry’s money-grab. And some of the more liberal agenda items, the ‘rats would oppose just for the sake of opposing them. Think NAFTA - if the ‘rat Clinton didn’t get elected, it would never have been approved.