Posted on 06/30/2007 2:24:57 PM PDT by hardback
The buzz around Washington today is that the proactive phase of the Bush presidency is over.
This analysis was prompted by the 46-to-53 Senate vote Thursday that ended the debate over immigration, most likely for the remainder of George W. Bush's term in office.
"You could make the case that the Bush presidency ended this week," a former White House adviser to Ronald Reagan told U.S. News. He points out that not only did Bush lose his main domestic priority for his second term, but he also faces a revolt within his party over his Iraq policy.
That was driven home when Sens. Richard Lugar of Indiana and George Voinovich of Ohio broke with the administration and said it's time for the United States to start disengaging from Iraq.
Bush aides are trying to persuade the GOP dissidents not to stray too far and to give the president's Iraq policy longer to work. But it's unclear whether those arguments will work.
On immigration, Bush argued Thursday that the American people realize that the status quo is "unacceptable," and he expressed disappointment that his compromise measure failed.
But its loss was caused at least as much by opposition from conservatives as from liberals, and it caused a rift between Bush and his base that may be irreparable. White House officials are trying to shift blame to the Democratic majority in Congress.
Bush advisers say Democratic leaders will now be unable to show any progress on immigration, raising questions about whether they can govern effectively.
(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.com ...
History will be very kind to GWB. The same BS was said about Truman as well as Reagan (go read conservative publications in 87/88. They were calling Reagan a mediocre POTUS. They were saying HE and his policies cost the GOP the Senate - Rush was just speaking of this a couple weeks ago).
Furthermore it is utterly ridiculous to suggest any CinC in a time of war (a world war being fought in the ME, Asia an the Horn of Africa) is at all irrelevant.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Regardless of what the MSM try and spin or GWB haters wish.
Yeah, he's only leading Congress by about 5% in the ratings now....
Nah, this sounds more like the Dims mouth piece, even when it cites some Republican senators.
I surely don’t like Bush for his pushing of the amnesty bill, but I’m not going to say it was the end of his presidency. He still has more than a year in the office, and he still can do many things.
Do you get the feeling fellow infidel that the amnesty bill’s failure has finally pushed a certain FReeper here over the edge? Sheesh, talk about meltdown.
Still playing the "secret squirrel" game. Yeah right, our borders are really secured. We just don't want the bad guys and the American people to know. Can't talk about it because of "NS type Ops." LOL.
If you seriously believe AQ and their mimics could easily cross our borders & ports, bring WMDs or even smaller dirty equivalents....and they simply haven't because they are being nice......So be it.
You don't know what you don't know. We do know that they are trying. Why hasn't Bush secured the border since 9/11? Why isn't he enforcing our immigration laws even to the extent that was done under the Clinton administration?
FBI's Mueller: Hezbollah Busted in Mexican Smuggling Operation
Illegals from terrorist nations are crossing the border into Arizona.
the recent capture of three al Qaeda terrorists at the U.S.-Mexico border.
My record on the Freep speaks for itself regarding such BS.
You know nothing of leadership (and that doesn't mean you need to agree with someone on any or all issue in order to recognize the traits and values of that leadership).
I keep hearing this - you're going to have to substantiate it. I remember nothing of the kind happening to Reagan's base - hell, he left office with a 60% approval rating.
Perhaps there were some dissaffected libertarians or reagan democrats, but whats happening to Bush today is in NO WAY similar to Reagans last term.
How many here think that the White House wrote the immigration bill that went down to defeat? Can I see a show of hands?
“God Bless President Bush , his family and Our troops, and protect us from all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
“and protect us from him”
Amen.
Oh so people said the same thing in the past? Wow, big deal. That means Bush will be seen as a complete success 100 years from now! Woo-hoo, I beeeeelieeeeve!
It’s only a matter of time until Bush replaces Franklin on the $100.
Strawman - Try to stay intellectually honest if you want to have a discussion. I never said our borders were fully secured. I said more is happening with regard to NS & our borders then is openly talked about (or then the "minutemen" are aware of).
We might not know what we don't know. But we know what we know...and we know we've caught them trying X,Y & Z ....which we wouldn't have if our borders & ports are so completely open as you suggest.
You are wrong. I don't really care if you can deal with that or not. There is more happening with our ports and borders regarding NS then is openly talked about. Does that mean we don't have still areas of concern regarding our borders? NO. Does that mean we don't have a big problem with Mexicans crossing our borders? NO.
It means exactly what I said. More is happening then is openly talked about on this issue. Just as more was happening regarding the monitoring of conversations then was openly talked about (until leaked!...think NSA).
If you want wrap yourself around so silly notion for your own ego that you and the minutemen are more ready to defend this nation then is the POTUS/CIA/NSA/ and a number of other OGAs.....Go right ahead if it makes you sleep better at night.
Regardless other adults are really in charge in the real world that provide you with that luxury to pretend.
well, I know at least 2 people now who understand this concern.
So true AM1776.
How do you know? Much depends on how Iraq turns out and how successful we will be in combatting militant Islamic fundamentalism. We have not resolved entitlement reform and immigration reform or even started down the path to doing so. In fact, one could argue that Bush has made both issues worse, e.g., prescription drugs being added to Medicare and the lack of secure borders despite having a window of opportunity due to 9/11.
Most of us won't be around to read it regardless. At this point, Bush's legacy may more closely resemble Carter's than Truman's.
“”You could make the case that the Bush presidency ended this week, about a year or so ago”,,,,there, I fixed it.”
Yep, no point in trying to get all those judgeships filled before his term is up.
Bump
What is the bottomline? Are our borders secure? You intimate that you have some special knowledge.
We might not know what we don't know. But we know what we know...and we know we've caught them trying X,Y & Z ....which we wouldn't have if our borders & ports are so completely open as you suggest
LOL. You sound like Clinton, who claimed credit for catching the Milleniyum bomber, but it was really an indvidual customs official at the Canadian border who was responsible, i.e., it was serendipity not some grand strategy or policy by Clinton. In the meantime the 9/11 hijackers were already position in the US to carry out their act. Before claiming any credit for those who we have caught at the border, we had better be worried about who is already here and in place for the next 9/11. If that happens, will you still be singing the same song?
Regardless other adults are really in charge in the real world that provide you with that luxury to pretend.
I have had more experience in the real world than you have. You can delude yourself that "POTUS/CIA/NSA/ and a number of other OGAs....." have this under control, but I can tell you after spending 36 years in the USG including serving in places like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Poland, and Vietnam, your childlike trust is misplaced.
I don't believe this will be the case. The ME (because of our actions through the leadership of GWB) will look much different within a decade. The values of freedom, self-worth and of their own style of quasi ME democracy are taking root as we speak.
GWB will be seen as a man of resolve that basically single handily dragged the world into seeing the enemy we face...and of taking the fight to them. Understanding the only long term solution was to drag the ME out of the dark ages (while in the mean time taking the fight to those enemies looking to do us harm).
Standing firm in establishing a new Iraqi Gov't will be seen in history as incredibly bold (especially because of the political hit he took in doing so). True leadership always looks better with time...then it does while it is happening.
To suggest GWB would resemble Carter only shows you have an axe of sorts to grind and won't be intellectually honest. GWB inherited a recession (he didn't cause one like JC). GWB has seen 6 straight years of expansion and an economy that is thriving despite the rise in energy costs.
GWB has overseen an economy that inherited a recession, inherited a stock market bubble, sustained the largest attack on our homeland and weathered the largest natural disaster to boot. Yet, his policies have helped to keep our economy robust (while cutting taxes across the board...and he didn't even raise FICA taxes like R.R. to boot).
Lastly, JC was a man of very little leadership or willingness to make tough decisions. GWB is anything but (agree with him or not).
No, history will be very kind to GWB.
“still don’t have tax cuts permanent yet”
And you won’t see them, either. Jorge might be petulant enough when beaten that he’ll stomp his feet and refuse to play on this issue. Instead of being a wise man and listening to his own constituency (and apologizing to us for so blatantly ignoring us), he’ll take his ball and go home. He’ll think “if they don’t support me on immigration, they can kiss other conservative issues goodbye”.
He’s ruined his own legacy among the people that were his strongest supporters when he was taking withering criticism from Democrats on the war. We backed him anyway, and look at the result. This is our reward. We didn’t betray him, he betrayed US. 2008 can’t come fast enough for me.
I'll disagree....
and over for me too. I can’t believe after the vote he goes out there and says: “The American people find this unacceptable.” Huh???????? Didn’t 85 plus % of the American people write, fax, mail, phone, email etc to tell them NO means NO???? What the American people found unacceptable was the immigration bill!!!
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