Bush Is Said to Seek More Money for Arts [$15 million to $20 million for NEA]

New York Times ^ | January 29, 2004 | ROBERT PEAR

[Hunble]

Bush has scored 6 for the LIberals and 2 for conservatives.

I would rather agree with your current score and would not question that statistic.

Bush is doing his job as President of the United States.

I will respect what he has done, in an effort to represent ALL Americans.

Democrats hate him for helping Congress to pass new laws, doing exactly what they have been asking for.

[inchworm]

Wisely put, But only in the NEA case. I don't think this kinda strategy can be applied to CFR, Medicare entitlements, and his idiotic illegal immigrant proposal.
All of which will be costing us dearly.

[F16Fighter]

"Not all NEA supported stuff is trash. Government support of the arts will always be controversial..."

True, but this is a political maelstrom issue NOT based on money, but principle.

ANY support of the NEA was sure to bring Dubya more than a migraine -- and how could he NOT know this would p*ss off an already riled up constituency??

The logic defies common sense.

[nopardons]

You and me ? LOL

I usually eschew crowds as well. :-)

[rwfromkansas]

I am going to try to get in touch with a WH spokesman and ask "In light of the current deficit and growing discontent among conservatives, what purpose is served by just tossing money at an organization considered immoral by many...rather than cleaning it up with requiring stiffer standards or simply removing all funding?"

It will be interesting to see the response if I get through.

[for-q-clinton]

I've been a bush supporter for a long time. In fact, I'm even on board with his amnesty plan (but let's not change the topic). This one has me ready to call it quits and not vote this year!

I would rather have Clinton at least he passed welfare reform and grew gov't at a slower pace. I'm really starting to believe we need a split congress and exec branch. When one party has it they spend too much money.

[nopardons]

Yada, yada, yada...and then some. Call that a refutaion ? LOL

[rwfromkansas]

just curious what scores you put in each column?

[COEXERJ145]

I think Bush felt the problems with CFR would be solved by the Supreme Court so he took the easy way out and punted. Problem is he was thinking of the Court that ruled in Bush v. Gore and not the E.U. Court we now have.

[Diddle E. Squat]

I disagree. This move will play well with moderate Philly suburban voters, some swing moderate suburban FL voters, some swing moderate suburban voters in NH, MN, IA, WI, MO, NM, NV, AZ, OR, and WA. All potentially close states. They, especially the female portion of them, don't want extreme, they don't want abolishment of the NEA. This helps send the message that Bush is 'safe'. I want the NEA abolished, but given the political situation right now, I'll glad increase its funding to get 3-4 USSC nominees, majority of Fed judicial appointments, prevention of gay marriage, overall budget spending cap of 1% growth(excluding security), tort reform, social security reform and privatization, medical savings accounts, medicare withering on the vine, future tax cuts, sensible energy policies, support for Israel, standing up to the UN, and a continued war on terrorists and the nations that aid them.

[DoughtyOne]

Frankly no, that's just a faint memory at this point. You know, we have kids leaving high-school that have no idea what a conservative is. It'll most likely be another five years before they'll get a chance to see one in the oval office, if then. What a shame.

[Hunble]

BINGO

I'm really starting to believe we need a split congress and exec branch.

RED ALERT!

Perhaps that is what our Constitutional form of government was all about?

About freaking time!

[DoughtyOne]

BTW, I agree with your thoughts.

[Map Kernow]

I guess GW hasn't run out of fingers to stick in the eyes of his conservative base, has he? Only this one is more like a Robert Mapplethorpe bullwhip....

[Torie]

Of course the dirty little secret, is that red meat types only get REALLY upset about government spending on stuff that they cannot relate too. I haven't read anyone getting upset about below market rate lease rates to ranchers who rent land from the feds for cattle grazing. I really haven't read much about government spending on the big ticket items either, ie medicare, medical subsidies, and social security, that made any sense. I haven't read any rants about spending on ethanol, and agricultural subsidies in general. I haven't read much about the maintenance of wasteful domestic military bases.

This isn't about spending. It is about folks' splenetic over-reaction to a culture war they want to fight, with targets that prove so ever elusive, that they really can't get satisfaction from the fight. So they seek enemies anywhere that they can possibly be found, and then go ballistic.

[rwfromkansas]

I could see where you are coming from, if, at the end of the day, those swing voters will be thinking of this at the polls. But, they won't.

It is such a small issue it will barely even merit a mention for more than a day or two in the news.

People will forget that he did this. It is like PBS and NPR....people don't know how much money there is involved there. Heck, most people probably don't know NPR is even given govt. money. It is not an issue that ultimately matters.

It is not an issue that can win votes because it does not have the NECESSARY VISIBILITY.

Well, it does on one side.....conservatives....and it's not a good thing to give more funding in a conservative's mind.

[for-q-clinton]

Trust me I'm no environmental wacko, but I know many Bush supporters that are. And they say Bush is horrible for the environment.

If he's going to waste money on making libs happy why not do it for an issue that libs are beating him up on? He could send that money to the environment clean up funds (which I think is a probalby a waste too, but better than art). When was the lsat time you hear someone complaining that there isn't enough gov't funded art?

[Joe Hadenuf]

And people on this board are asking me Why I am now supporting the Constitution Party. Here is another reason.

Seems to be a never ending line of "single" issues.....

[Torie]

What you might miss, is that there is a political upside to Bush getting the red meat cultural warriors upset from time to time. You can take that to the bank. Pat Buchanan where are you? Bush wants to pistol whip you.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Bull. See post #90. All are stated goals of President Bush, all have seen him attempt to either bring them about, or lay the groundwork to enact them when the political situation changes. Those changes can't happen if we don't retain the Presidency in 2004.

He's far from a liberal, he's just not in a position to ram through everything we want right now and still get reelected.