Posted on 09/08/2004 6:11:24 PM PDT by aman_verjee
Thanks to a special invitation from Jim Robinson (Free Republic's founder), World Ahead Publishing is pleased to present Aman Verjee and Rod D. Martin, the editors of "Thank You, President Bush: Reflections on the War on Terror, Defense of the Family, and Revival of the Economy"
Mr. Verjee and Mr. Martin are excited to be here to answer your questions and chat with the Free Republic community. They'll be discussing the reasons they created "Thank You, President Bush," why so many conservative legends (such as Shlafly, Meese, Norquist, and Dobson) were eager to work with them on this book, what it was like being at the Republican Convention to unveil their new title, and anything else that you are interested to know.
So don't be shy - post a greeting to Aman and Rod and learn more about what went into their landmark new book!
ABOUT THE EDITORS
Aman Verjee is the co-editor of Thank You, President Bush (World Ahead Publishing). A Muslim born in Kenya and raised in Canada, Mr. Verjee is the co-founder of "American Thunder," a leading NASCAR magazine, and currently serves as the director of strategy for a Silicon Valley company. He studied public policy at Stanford University and traded bonds on Wall Street before obtaining a degree from Harvard Law School.
Rod D. Martin is also a co-editor of Thank You, President Bush. A conservative Christian from Little Rock, Arkansas, Mr. Martin is Chairman of Vanguard PAC and the author of the political column "Vanguard of the Revolution." He previously served as the Director of Policy Planning & Research for Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Mr. Martin studied at Cambridge University and was elected student body president at Baylor Law School.
That much I knew. What I don't know, and am very interested to know, is how do I tell the difference? This is not a rhetorical question - I was in the WTC the first time it was bombed, near it on 9/11, and still live in the neighborhood. I've been asking this question for about 11 years and have yet to get a straight answer. I would be most grateful for some way to tell the difference, so I don't have to treat all Muslims like potential killers.
I think the Swift Boat vets -- no matter what anyone thinks of them -- are doing exactly what John Kerry should have expected they'd do the minute he decided this election was going to be about a 35 year old war instead of the very real, life-and-death struggle we're in right now.
I think Zell felt really let down by the direction his party has taken. Kerry is a classic 1980s liberal - a Senator who voted against Reagan's Central America policy, against missile defense, against the first Iraq War, etc.
As Reagan said, "I didn't leave my party - my party left me." I think Zell feels the same way, that on national defense the Democratic Party of the 1980s is not the right model in 2000.
What is at the heart of the extremist Muslim viewpoint?? What causes a peaceful Muslim to become very radical??
Mr. Martin,
I'm a medical student who is interested in health care policy. Does your book address President Bush's health care policies?
I agree. America -- and especially the south -- used to be full of conservative Democrats. Now, Zell is virtually the last one.
Another key point. In 1992, George H.W. Bush wasn't exactly running as a conservative, while Bill Clinton definitely was doing everything in his power to at least appear to be a resurrection of the Zell Miller wing of the Democratic Party. When that all went out the window, Zell became more disillusioned by the day, until we get down to a very different Democratic nominee and a very different George Bush, with the result we all just saw.
I agree that moderate Muslims have a responsibility to help fight the Islamist bent of the Arab world - the Wahhabists (a particularly xenophobic strain of Islam) has almost become the formal policy in Saudi Arabia, and even Pakistan.
But there are plenty of Muslims who reject the concept of "jihad" and who do fight to promote a pro-Western view of classical Islam, a la Turkey or Indonesia.
You can see more (for instance) at www.freemuslims.org
Absolutely! Contrary to what you're hearing from the Left, George Bush has done an extraordinary job of bringing in a new, free-market era in health care, via the device of Health Savings Accounts. As these HSAs grow -- in both number and asset valuation -- they will sweep away the belief in government health care precisely as IRAs and 401(k)s have swept away the belief in government Social Security. It's going to take time, but Bush has shown a lot of foresight on this, and we definitely address that in the book (as well as other issues on which we don't so heartily agree).
'I think the Swift Boat vets -- no matter what anyone thinks of them -- are doing exactly what John Kerry should have expected they'd do the minute he decided this election was going to be about a 35 year old war instead of the very real, life-and-death struggle we're in right now.'
I agree - and I await their next salvo with great anticipation!
I have just been searching for more info on the Russian situation - we have just crept step closer to annihilating a small nation or conversely, the islamists might go underground for another 10 years...
So I read that you have a number of economics commentators (Laffer, Norquist, Moore) contributing to your book. What was their general analysis of Bush's economic track record?
Also, a lot of conservatives have been critical of his record on free trade -- do you think that's merited?
Oh, and on that note, here's an article of mine on the promise of HSAs (a little older, so they're still called MSAs -- for Medical Savings Accounts -- in the column). It's posted here:
http://www.thevanguard.org/thevanguard/columns/000514.shtml
I count you as seven!
We had Grover Norquist, Arthur Laffer and Steve Moore (as well as myself) discuss the economy. In general, i don't think Bush gets enough credit here - the economy has gone through three shocks that were not of Bush's making, since 2000:
1) The stock market bubble burst;
2) The terrorist attacks; and
3) The accounting scandals that sapped investor confidence.
Yet, the US is still the fastest growing economy of the G7, since 2000. So Bush has done all the right things - he's tacitly encouraged monetary stimulus, kept the dollar weak, and used pro-growth fiscal stiumulus to spur the economy.
The unemployment rate today is 5.5 percent, exactly where it was in 1996 - when Clinton was re-elected on the back of an economy that he campaigned on as "the best in thee decades."
Bush would do well to get on the very next flight to Russia and hold hands with Putin. The Islamofascists have overplayed their hands on this one -- even a lot of major Middle Eastern clerics are protesting what they've done -- and this is a key opportunity for Bush to (a) show compassion to the Russian people (ala, we're all in this together), (b) show solidarity with their leaders, and (c) show the decent people in the Middle East that they need to get their house in order or it's going to get ordered for them.
I'm interested in the Muslim view of abortion and your views on solutions for courts who grab power to make law.
I am surprised that he hasn't!! Altho there are still plenty here who don't trust the Bear, somehow I see what Bush might have seen "in Putin's eyes"...
On trade, I think the Bush team dropped the ball in one area - the ill-fated steel tariffs. In general, Bush has been solid on trade - Heidi Cruz wrote a piece in our book on this (she used to be Robert Zoellick's right hand).
Also, the alternative we face is John Kerry-John Edwards. Kerry voted for NAFTA but has made some worrisome speeches that sound protectionist to me. Edwards has said he would have voted AGAINST NAFTA and is an avowed anti-trade Democrat.
Mr. Verjee,
Is your book available in paperback yet? Also, thank you Mr. Martin for posting that article. What was it like to work with Jeb Bush?
Perhaps he has seen the light but I doubt it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.