Dubya's End

New York Post ^ | June 29, 2007 | John Podhoretz

[Truth29]

DUBYA'S END

BORDER BILL THE LAST BLOW

June 29, 2007 -- PRESIDENT Bush's disastrous second term has not been without its moments. Unfortunately for him, these moments have come primarily when members of his own party have risen up against him to defy his wishes. That's what happened yesterday. For the second time in four weeks, Republicans in the Senate put a stake through the heart of Bush's beloved but politically catastrophic immigration bill.

It's also what happened in the early months of the second term, when Bush chose to nominate his unqualified aide, Harriet Miers, to the Supreme Court - and finally backed down and had her withdraw her name after three weeks of lobbying and complaining.

(snip)

He would not and could not back down on immigration reform, an issue far too close to his heart. But after the Senate first rejected the bill at the end of May, Bush could have left it alone and accepted defeat. He could have seen reason, as he did in January 2004 when he first proposed a piece of legislation and was met with an uprising from his conservative base - whereupon he prudently dropped the subject because he was running for re-election and needed a united and enthusiastic Republican electorate behind him.

(snip)

And perhaps most interesting, Bush chose to believe it was more important to court potential future Republican voters - those illegals who would have gained a "path to citizenship" under the terms of the bill in 13 years' time - rather than listen to the concerns of present-day Republican voters.

[Diogenesis]

[don-o]

This gives me great hope that the conservative movement can be revived. Under the two Bushes, it has been wandering in the wilderness for a long time.

The amnesty bill was, hopefully, the spark needed.

[backhoe]

[IndyTiger]

No one was a bigger supporter of Dubya than me in 2000 and 2004. Now I can't wait for his term to end. I still don't regret my vote in '04, if for nothing else than the Roberts and Alito nominations. But otherwise, Bush's second term was been a huge disappointment.

Right now, Hillary would win my home state of Ohio, IMO. I agree with Rush that there is an 80% chance of her election in 2008.

[Buffettfan]

These ungrateful foreigners (once the become able to vote here) will never vote Republican. Everyone of their racist, separatist so called civil rights groups La Raza (The Race), LULAC, MALDEF and all rabid democrats. The republicans are delirious if they think they can capture the ungrateful hispanic vote.

[Kakaze]

Great graphics backhoe...Long time no see i hope your doing well:)

[mo]

I have yet to understand why the attempt at giving NON-CITIZENS better representation than Americans ever came to the floor of the Capitol. There is a fundamental flaw somewhere here....

[monkapotamus]

[backhoe]

Long time no see I hope you're doing well:)

Aw, I Lurk & Link, mostly nowadays. Good to see you again.

[ruination]

Bush will have an excellent legacy: he signed the Secure Fence Act of 2006.

[Vaquero]

The republicans are delirious if they think they can capture the ungrateful hispanic vote.

No...the 'pubes dont think they can get the hispanic vote...they are shilling to american business interests who want cheap, slave labor...a despicable short term money making scheme that does not look to the future at all.

[BluH2o]

Dubya has approximately 18 months left in his second term. Due to his unwavering support of a very flawed amnesty bill that went down in flames, in spite of his best effort to push it thru ... thereby thoroughly alienating his Republican and conservative base ... will give a whole new meaning to the term ‘lame duck’ presidency.

[johnny7]

Great cartoon... ;)

[raybbr]

This was not about immigration reform. It was about the 12 million illegals and making them legal with the stroke of a pen.

To my knowledge the bill did nothing about creating a system to present an equitable chance for people all around the world to emmigrate here. It simply was a snake-oil attempt at reforming the term used to describe over 12 million invaders.

[shekkian]

That’s like saying Clinton has an excellent legacy: Nationalized Health Care.

[kindred]

[Bush will have an excellent legacy: he signed the Secure Fence Act of 2006.]

Only if he does shut down the border. Unfortunately, he does not seem willing to do his job as a conservative and panders to the left way to much.

[Diogenesis]

"Bush will have an excellent legacy: he signed the Secure Fence Act of 2006."

[Texas Jack]

I've been wondering how long it will take for conservatives to start referring to Bush's presidency in the same terms that we refer to Jimmah Carter's:

The Failed Bush Administration!

[ruination]

I think the fence will be built, albeit slowly and with much thrashing and gnawing.