Money-burning Bush: How to make a one-term President

Manchester Union Leader ^ | February 2, 2004 | Editorial

[billorites]

PRESIDENT BUSH is trying to buy the 2004 election. It isn't going to work. He needs to get smart about spending, and now.

Conservatives predicted that the $400 billion price tag on the President's Medicare prescription drug bill was underestimated. Last week they were proved right as it was revealed that the plan will cost at least $540 billion — a third larger than projected.

Conservatives predicted that the federal deficit would increase dramatically without spending cuts. Last week they were proved right as the Congressional Budget Office projected a $100 billion increase in the deficit, and the White House revealed that the President's new budget will peg the deficit at $520 billion — a $145 billion increase over last year.

It is incredible that come this fall, Americans may have to vote for a Democrat to get a President who will curb federal spending and shrink the federal deficit. Yes, the Democrats promise the moon, but this President promises Mars.

President Bush is supposed to release a federal budget today that curbs federal spending. We'll believe it when we see it. He's promised to control spending before. But in the past month he has proposed a Mars exploration program estimated to cost $170 billion (and sure to cost more) as well as numerous small spending hikes such as increasing funding for the National Endowment for the Arts by $18 million.

We'd much rather the NEA fund Shakespeare (which it does) than freaky performance artists (which it used to). But the bottom line is that it shouldn't exist in the first place. If Americans want to fund art, they will go to plays, watch movies, attend concerts, and buy paintings. They don't need the federal government to do that for them.

There is precious little that Americans truly need the federal government to do. This President claimed to understand that. But his actions show that either he doesn't understand, or he was lying.

[Dane]

It is incredible that come this fall, Americans may have to vote for a Democrat to get a President who will curb federal spending and shrink the federal deficit. Yes, the Democrats promise the moon, but this President promises Mars

Huh, Kerry and the demos were proposing a $800 billion drug plan.

Wonder why the Union-Leader left that fact out. Oh that's right the facts get in the way of the Union-Leader's fantasy world. Nevermind.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Yep a Democrat will curb spending. Cut military, cut military, and cut military.

9/11 will look like a field trip to the petting ZOO.

No I'm not a Bushbot, but he still has my vote in November.

CG

[billorites]

Bush's spending proposals are not those of a Conservative.

They are more akin to the spending habits of a crack whore.

[Russ]

You add so much to the conversation.

[sirchtruth]

No conservative should agree with Bush's spending spree, however, compared to any Dem I'll take it.

Most of you complaining, are the querulous Libet. who endlesslessly whine about everything and are more selfishly prickish and immature than many Dems I know...

[Dane]

Bush's spending proposals are not those of a Conservative.

They are more akin to the spending habits of a crack whore

And the demos would be worse, plus they would raise taxes.

Just bringing real world facts the editorial left out.

[DM1]

Great abandon Bush and have Kerry Elected. Anyone who says Terrorism is "exagerated" should give you some insight as to how he will defend America. Kerry is a loony lefty who can pretend to be a centrist. He is a typical limousine liberal who is very very dangerous

[RJCogburn]

The Union Leader gets it.

It is sad that it has come to this with GWB. If the Union Leader is writing this....well, the newspaper may be a bit tamer than when Bill Loeb was alive, but it is no less conservative, and never one to back away.

GWB has major fencemending to do to carry NH in November, IMO. I voted for him last time with great excitement. It is a major disappointment.

[Moby Grape]

P.J. O'Rourke; "Democrats believe that government is the answer to everything, then Republicans get elected and prove that it isn't."

[RJCogburn]

Most of you complaining, are the querulous Libet. who endlesslessly whine about everything and are more selfishly prickish and immature than many Dems I know...

The Union Leader is hardly Libertarian. This is an indication, from the state's biggest newspaper, how troublesome GWB's actions have been.

[angkor]

Bill Clinton and the Rats hijacked "fiscal restraint" in 1995/96 from Newt Gingrich and the Contract For America. It was a brazen seizure of credit for something entirely enacted by a Republican Congress.

Ever since then, the Rats have posed as fiscal conservatives, which they aren't.

[Peach]

I really recommend you go to this link and read Jim Robinson's post #712. He made many other comments on this thread; read his in-forum posts last night.

You are adding nothing to the conversation by continuously referring to the president in derogatory terms such as today's "crack whore" comment.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1069214/posts

[RJCogburn]

Do you have comments on this editorial, other than you obviously disagree?

[templar]

Conservatives predicted that the $400 billion price tag on the President's Medicare prescription drug bill was underestimated. ... Conservatives predicted that the federal deficit would increase dramatically without spending cuts.

It's time the Republicans got these fanatics out of their ranks. They are impeding Republican progress and contributing nothing to the future of our nation. Their time has passed.

[KantianBurke]

There is precious little that Americans truly need the federal government to do. This President claimed to understand that. But his actions show that either he doesn't understand, or he was lying.

Either the President is incompetent or he lied. Which is it?

[Peach]

What more could I possibly add? As you have noticed - I agree with all of Jim Robinson's comments.

I detest the immigrant proposal and the prescription plan. Does disagreeing with a few things the president does mean I won't be voting for him or will continuously bash him on this site? Absolutely not.

We will never have a president with whom we agree 100%.

Referring to the president as spending like a crack whore does nothing to further the conversation.

Anyone who thinks the Democrats will spend less, make better judicial appointments, defend the country better, etc., is delusional. I will NOT sit idly by and see that happen. If condemning the president at every turn floats your boat, go to it. I don't see that getting conservatives all riled up with the few things he has done that we don't like as constructive.

I would far rather accentuate the positive than focus on the negative.

[RJCogburn]

Fair enough. Thanks for responding.

[uncbob]

Either the President is incompetent or he lied. Which is it?

Maybe it is his version of "Read My Lips"

Chip off the old block
But hey If Compassionate Conservatism didn't give us a clue back in 2000 what did ?

[Peach]

Sure thing.