Posted on 03/16/2007 6:21:30 AM PDT by seanmerc
President Bush, standing in front of a banner that read "Rebuilding Our Republican Majority" and flanked by two giant puzzle pieces, last night pledged to House Republicans that the GOP will retake both congressional chambers and "hold the White House in 2008." Attending the first National Republican Congressional Committee dinner in Washington since the party lost control of the House and the Senate in November, the president fed hundreds of Republican lawmakers red meat, lambasted Democrats for trying to "micromanage" the war in Iraq and vowed to continue to appoint conservative judges. "We've got a strong record to run on," Mr. Bush said as members of Congress dined on beef tenderloin and jumbo shrimp. "The key is to learn from every election and to come back stronger. And with your help, that's exactly what we're going to do in 2008." Looking fresh after a five-country trip south of the border, the president reviewed Republican accomplishments during his administration: the largest tax cuts since Ronald Reagan, a booming economy that has created 7.5 million jobs in less than four years, and a newly revamped education system in which "minority students are beginning to close the achievement gap." "Ours is an optimistic agenda and ours is a realistic agenda. And by pushing good ideas and standing strong for what's right, I believe that we can retake the Senate and the House and hold the White House in 2008," Mr. Bush said to cheers from the party faithful. More than 1,200 people attended the annual Washington Hilton dinner, which raised more $6.2 million for congressional candidates. The president was greeted by a lengthy and hearty applause, a far cry from what he got in South America and Mexico.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Shortly after the announcement, President Bush held a press conference to apologize for it.
So he's gonna end the Iraq war AND catch Osama??
He's always been good with the photo ops.
On actual policy, on follow-through, he's been terrible. A real disappointment.
No thanks, W. We'll handle this on our own, without any help from Party leadership in Washington.
GWB is destroying the party.
he is part of the problem and not the solution.
Like DeLay said...he has too much compassion and not enough conservatism.
No, he is not. However, poster #2 nailed it.
The problem is that he is not making people proud of it.
So President Bush is now going to come out against amnesty for illegal alien lawbreakers?
This guy is smoking some seriously bad crack. What the hell is he going to take back Washington with? A bunch of "blue dog republicans"? This guy is so out of touch with conservatives that he's on the other side.
This Conservative Independent Libertarian has had it with this BS they call a democracy. Our country is supposed to be a REPUBLIC. Look the definition of the word up republicans and get an Effin' clue.
The Rep. party of today is selling out our country just like the libs are, only they're doing it under the guise of "conservatism". Anyone who believes that BS come see me, I have ocean front property to sell you in the Mojave Desert.
I'm fed up.
Two? That's gonna take some doin'. It took six years to destroy it.
So why is he supporting comprehensive immigration reform [read amnesty] against the overwhelming majority of his own party. Bush is splitting the GOP, not uniting it.
Right.
If the last few months is any indication, the GOP is going to just get whacked in the next election.
A complete spine transplant is needed.
You're right. The party AND the conservative movement. The Party is going to be rebuilt with his help? I wonder what strategy. These two won't work any more:
1. "Vote for this Republican liberal because he/she is better than the Democrat liberal, and they are different, they really, really are", and
2. "This is the most important election of our lifetime."
Without those two canards, what does Bush have to contribute?
So far the big tent philosophy of Bush/Rove just doesn't cut it. Reagan "with a backbone" conservatism does. And Bush ain't no Reagan. Bush has been a major disappointment on so many areas. So many opportunities for conservative policy, so much wasted.
That is such garbage. The reality is the RNC candidates ran away from GWB in 2006 and they lost. They were suckered into the MSM BS of "don't run with the President" and they didn't...and they lost.
In 2000, GWB won. In 2002, the RNC ran completely behind him (bringing him into every state with close races)...we won back the Senate and expanded in the House. In 2004, he won reelection with the most votes in history (the party ran behind him again...and picked up seats in both chambers).
In 2006 the RNC foolishly ran away from the President and they lost!...
It is the RNC not standing up firm and tall behind this President on the WOT/Iraq that have cost them big time. On issue after issue the RNC has cried and whined that the WH isn't doing enough. The RNC hasn't once taken the fight to the DEMs....constantly expecting the WH to do it all themselves (taking on the DEMs, MSM, 527s, etc, etc).
No, the RNC not standing up behind this CINC is what cost them in 2006. That and allowing a few differences on domestic issues to give an edge to DEMs.
GWB is a hell of a good man. An incredible CINC and a guy at times that only wants to see the best in other people and not think the worst (which costs him at times).
GWB destroying the GOP? Not by a long shot. If only any others in the GOP had the backbone and resolve of this man it would be a much better party.
First step is to take the cowards in Congress shopping down at Spines-R-US.
It would help if he resigned. Now.
The best thing you can say about the Republicans in Washington is that THE DEMOCRATS ARE INFINITELY WORSE! (And note tagline, keeping in mind that the Democrat Party is the Political Machine of the anti-American Left.)
But see, he's going to do it by failing to actually build any fence and the passage of a comprehensive dare not call it amnesty.
"You made me... promises, promises... You knew you'd never keep..."
Barf alert.
Yep, and Reagan cutting and running from Beirut after hundreds of our soldiers were killed in cold blood was "showing backbone".....Reagan reneging on his Soc Security reform and increasing FICA taxes was "showing backbone"......Reagan going the complete PC route and appointing the terrible SDO to the SCOTUS was "showing backbone".....
The reality is some on here constantly want to see things through starw-size peep holes and not recognize the reality of seeing the bigger picture. Seeing the bigger picture however is exactly what GWB and Reagan have both done when necessary. It is called leadership. And on the whole both men have shown it in spades.
GWB is a hell of a good man. An incredible CINC and a guy at times that only wants to see the best in other people and not think the worst (which costs him at times).
Increase the voters base with many illegals every year, and then see how well both the Republican Party at every level and the truly conservative politicians at every level end up doing from now on! Nobody can truly rebuild the Republican Party and the conservative movement by completely destroying them! What is President Bush thinking? Grrr!
Oh, boo hoo, the guy can't win, when he tries to bring the Republicans together everyone jumps all over him, usually the same whiners who slap down everything he has done. He has handled the war with courage and conviction but other issues have not been handled with conservative policies. When he says he is going to bring us all together the attitude NOT to take is what I'm reading here, "don't even try, we don't like what you've done". Stop the griping and let's work together to bring our Party back to full strength, we can knock the left on it's collective behind (if we all participate).
It would take the entire federal budget to produce enough Viagra and testosterone.
"Vote Republican. Because we aren't quite as bad as the other guys" is hardly a slogan to build a party on.
Thanks, Mr. President, but perhaps you should leave that noble task to conservatives, lest the next "Republican Majority" will have to change their symbol from the elephant to the rhino. But please do keep up the good work on the WOT and economy.
Let's see, 2 years, 2 years....oh I get it, he'll be out of office in 2 years.
He's dreaming.
"I'm from the Government and I'm here to help"
"I'm from the Party and I'm here to help"
Mr. President, to paraphrase your father's Waterloo--READ MY TAGLINE--NO NEW AMNESTIES.
That this nation has growing segment of people with your mindset, that don't put a high on value the decency of a man and the character of his resolve (even if you don't always agree).....is why this nation is breaking...
GWB has been a hell of a CINC in a time period when this nation needed exactly that. A strong CINC.
The loyalty shown back to him by "true conservatives" speaks volumes about their own narcissism complexes.
He was a great leader but he made mistakes like Bush. They're humans. We cannot expect them to be perfect all the time despite what some FReepers think.
Isn't the definition of insane....doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome?
That this nation has growing segment of people with a mindset, that doesn't put a high value on the decency of a man and the character of his resolve (even if you don't always agree).....is why this nation is breaking...
Thanks, How'd I manage to leave that big one off.
You have it exactly right. The reality is both Reagan and GWB have been great leaders and on the whole did very well for this country. The United States was lucky to have such men as POTUS/CINC.
Was this in the Onion?
"Stop the griping and let's work together to bring our Party back to full strength, we can knock the left on it's collective behind (if we all participate)."You're right, of course, Rockie.
After all the cussin' and cryin', we must come to the sober reality that THE DEMOCRATS ARE INFINITELY WORSE than the Republicans could possibly be.
However, President Bush and the Republicans should be made aware that we, the American people, are furious with their behavior.
9/11 was never repeated--because of President Bush and his leadership.
The Bush tax cuts stimulated the U.S. economy to unprecedented heights of prosperity.
President Bush has set a high standard of personal behavior, in sharp contrast to his predecessor.
For all these things and more, he is to be praised.
However, he has made it clear that he has no intention of closing the Mexican Border, halting illegal immigration, or protecting the lives and property of American citizens who live along the border.
He has ignored the Supreme Court's ridiculous "Eminent Domain" decision, despite the overwhelming disapproval of it by the American people.
He has expanded the size, reach, and budget of the Frankenstein's Monster that the U.S. Federal Government has become, increasing its threat to liberty, justice, and the American people, even to the extent of adding prescription drug benefits to federal entitlements.
And, worst of all, through sheer foolishness and because of the failings I have just mentioned, he handed Congress to the dangerous, decadent, anti-American Democrats on a silver platter in 2006 and placed the Presidency and Congress in jeopardy in 2008!
For these reasons, the President and the rest of the Republicans have earned--and deserve--the fury of the American people! And they have it!
NOW! That said, we the SANE American people must take to heart the wise advice of Rockiette and think of the future--not the past.
The Democrats must be defeated! The survival of the United States and the American Dream and the future of our children depend upon it.
Think positively. Pray for America. And work as though your life depended upon it--because it does--to defeat the decadent, destructive, insane, anti-American Left--and its Political Machine, the Democrat Party!
I know exactly how you feel, NS, but see post #39. What else can we do?
I beg to differ a little. Tom DeLay has written a book supposedly exposing the GOP lack of leadership and infighting--Rush is having him on today. Have only heard some of the things he professes, but I have to tell you I agree with a lot of it.
For instance, Newt Gingrich--great ideals; great writer, teacher, speaker when talking conservatism. In reality, he ran off in all directions as speaker. There were many times when I was disappointed in his deeds and words--i.e. when Newt said Bill Clinton could change his(Newt's) mind and make him see Clinton's way of thinking-complimenting Clinton's persuasion. He did this in an admiring way and more or less said Clinton could make him cave on issues.Also, having the baggage he came to Wash. with in his personal life, Newt then had an affair with a staffer when he should have been tending to business.
Denny Hastert was a disappointment from the getgo--weak kneed and a compromiser too quickly. Cannot think of any instance of strong leadership.
DeLay also mentions Armey's infighting to be speaker, and all of them not standing up to the Dems--and we have all seen that. We're seeing it now.
Tom DeLay is the only Republican besides McConnell I can think of since Haley Barber ran the RNC that could consistently name the problem and call the Dems on it. The leaders stood by and let him be pilloried--it was mostly a case of Ronnie Earl aided by Dems pushing accusations about paying his family, etc. that most of both sides were doing. They let Gingrich be hanged, too, until he resigned.
That said, I agree with those on here faulting Bush for caving on almost everything. He should have vetoed the Campaign Finance Bill. I'm virtually sure that his advisers told him not to do it because of media reaction. Like Mitch McConnell, who fought it tooth and nail, they thought it would surely be knocked down by the SC, but the SC said, yeah, it impinged on free speech, but given the evils of too much campaign money, they thought curtailing free speech was better. Right now, McConnell is the only Repub I can think of with a strong backbone and pretty clear vision. The only Repub I can think of wanting to vote for in 08 is Fred Thompson--I pray he runs.
vaudine
He doesn't want to stop illegal immigration, he calls the Minutemen "vigilantes", he doesn't care that 500,000 illegals march in the streets of the US waiving Mexican flags.
If Bush would at least demand American citizens be given the right to buy property in Mexico and be assured safety while in Mexico, American would turn that freakin place around in a decade. He demands nothing of their leaders to benefit us but bends over backward for them and tells us to like it of lump it.
Bush is a good guy and aside from his Mexican worship would rank as one of the best. Unfortunately his policy and general attitude on illegal immigration is terrible and loses him lots of respect within his party. The reason is because it goes to the core of American sovereignty.
Bush has not mobilized the country for war, this has become a war that the people can watch on CNN but not really be involved in. American's are not tired of the bloodshed. Just the opposite. We're bored with nothing happening. American love a winner and will not tollorate a looser. Bush has allowed this war to be precieved as a looser. How disappointed are you when your team looses the game. What do the owners do, they fire the coach or the manager. Get some new players. Come up with a new stratige for the next game. We are watching a sports contest, or a made for TV movie.
Bush needs to get the people involved and on a war footing, but the time may have passed for that, at least untill the next homefront attack.
I think the Islamofachist have learnd a lesson, and the undercurrents suggest that the new front for the enemy is europe, because we really don't care if europe falls to the enemy, because we really don't like them very much.
It's been amazing for 6 years how many people on this forum defended the typical Bush family weakness by calling it "class" or "character". I had some idiot yell at me for criticizing Papa Bush for giving Ted Kennedy a Bush public service award in Houston FOUR DAYS after The Swimmer called the President a "liar" on the Senate floor. I was told Papa had "more class" than Kennedy. Ridiculous. But Bush's worst "decency" move was by far the wrist slap of serial traitor Sandy Berger, who got 100 hrs of community service while Duke Cunningham got 8 years in the slammer and lost all his assets. If Berger had done what he did with the Pearl Harbor Commission in 1946, he would have been hung by the neck.
"Looking fresh after a five-country trip south of the border, the president reviewed Republican accomplishments during his administration:"
Where he promised them that he would do everything in his power to give amnesty to as many hispanics as he possibly could.
Bush has shown nothing but weakness and the Demonrats are feeding on it. He and the 'leaders' of the GOP show no ability against the liberal scumbags. Time to change this disaster and put a man like Duncan Hunter in the position to straighten this mess out. The GOP is is dire straights looking for direction and, hopefully, it realizes it's going to need a fighter.
I'm with you, DevSix.
There are certianly a number of things he has done that I disagree with, but he has been so good on so many fronts. The only area that they have been an absolute failure on is PR since 2005. It started with accepting blame for Katrina and has been a disastrous downhill slide ever since. I just don't get it. I do blame the congress and the party for deserting him, but the WH has done literally nothing to tell the rest of us view other than the one we hear in the media. Apologizing for everything under the sun is not leadership.
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