[cake_crumb]

BS. Bush is not responsible for the behavior of people like Mark Foley, Abramoff and Weldon, but Bush sure is a convenient whipping boy isn't he? He's not even allowed credit for the tax cuts we enjoy, for us not having been attacked again since 9/11/01, for dropping federal funding of fetal stem cell research, dropping federal funding for abortions worldwide, trying to protect the sanctity of marriage...nothing. He is allowed NO credit whatsoever. He's the DEFINITION of "damned if you do and damned if you don't".

I am sure the one-trick borderbots who will disagree, though they don't help fight for the fence that the government is still fighting envirowackos in court to get built.

[johna61]

The pro Illegal immmigrant pro al queda RINO Peggy Noonan supports McAniac and Huckaphony.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

I wonder in my moments of lucidity, just what the Devil President Bush is up to. It would be interesting to know how much the Federal government has expanded during his term of office. It would also be interesting to know the number of pages which were added to the Federal regulations during his tour of duty.

[DrDeb]

If you ‘buy in’ to Noonan’s assessment of President Bush, et al, then you must also ‘buy’ her assessment of President Reagan:

“THE BATTLE FOR THE MIND OF RONALD REAGAN WAS LIKE THE TRENCH WARFARE OF WORLD WAR I: NEVER HAVE SO MANY FOUGHT SO HARD FOR SUCH BARREN TERRAIN”

I suppose GWB should consider himself lucky that Noonan merely accuses him of destroying the Republican Party — unlike, of course, the conservative elitists/propagandists who insist that Ronald Reagan was a “conservative” purist, (when he was actually a REPUBLICAN pragmatist) for the express purpose of destroying ALL current Republicans, including President Bush.

[txlurker]

I am disappointed in some ways with W but to place the blame on him is to excuse the R’s in congress. The McCain’s, Graham’s...etc. He not only has had to deal with a hostile press...he has to deal with a hostile group within his own party.

[RGSpincich]

This is absurd. George W. Bush destroyed the Republican Party, by which I mean he sundered it, broke its constituent pieces apart and set them against each other.

Read my lips, Margaret, no new news here. Reagan had conservative heads exploding when he, among other things, raised taxes, increased the deficit and gave amnesty to millions of illegals. He is the standard bearer of conservatives today. It's a little early to be writing an obituary for the Republicans.

[no dems]

I AGREE WITH PEGGY. While I think G.W. did some good things (appointing Roberts and Alito to the SCOTUS)he has basically been a disaster this second term.

Big Government, big spending, open borders, etc., etc., etc. I just wish there was some way he could do “DAMAGE CONTROL” in his State of the Union Speech Monday night.

Probably won’t happen.

[RSmithOpt]

I quit giving money to the RNS 6 months before the election whee the Dems rained control of both houses. The GOP asked for it. It was led from the inside by the RINOS.

[HeartlandOfAmerica]

I happily voted for George Bush through 2 election cycles, but damn the guy now. If he was up for election today, he sure wouldn't get my vote. Nobody would.

he spends like a drunken Democrat.

His prescription program cost a friggin fortune.

I could understand having to spend after 911 to dampen all the fires. But he's done more to grow govt than Clinton even.

The list goes on and on.

But I find his stance on illegals to be revolting. Repubs are supposed to be the defenders of America. It's their number one advantage with the electorate and its their number one selling point.

During the amnesty debate, we had almost as many R's voting for the amnesty as D's. This is CONSERVATIVE??? No, it's not.

I don't demand that a politco agree with me 100% but I do agree that they agree with me and my values at least 80% otherwise why bother? At this stage, I'm in the why bother category about all the candidates.

As far as I'm concerned the Party's broken.

[WildcatClan]

Rush, like most of the political pundits is a big bag of wind. He proved that Rush cares about Rush and doesn’t know his a$$ from his elbow.

He claims he doesn’t get involved in endorsements and then sets about to do just that by default. Huckabee and McCain will destroy the GOP, but not Mitt and Rudy? Is there some regional bias here or perhaps the Bain/Clear Channel relationship is driving his insanity?

The arrogant blowhard thinks Huckabee and McCain will destroy the GOP but not the candidates who endorsed Tsongas and Cuomo? Not the candidates who were for abortion? Really, Rush? When Rush was asked why he would not do more to support the only conservative in the race he intimated it was not his job to do so. Things seem to have changed in that regard. If either Huckabee or McCain wins, where does Rush go from there?

Four candidates remain, one no better or worse than the other and none are conservative, yet Rush seemingly prefers the NE liberals? Why didn’t he include them all? I suppose it doesn’t matter to Rush as long as the checks continue to clear. I would think that the GOP is bigger than one election and one candidate. If not, then it was not worth anything in the beginning. What happens, happens, and as long as there are some true conservatives around to pick up the pieces as usual, it won’t matter in the long term.

[ColdSteelTalon]

Does anyone have Mike Huckabees actual record. regarding his policies and decision making?

[LibLieSlayer]

BS... Bush played his part in it alright... but the rinos spending like drunk sailors and Amnesty being pushed by graham, mcinsane and others... calling Conservatives racists and bigots... being elected as Conservatives and voting like dims... and certain Republicans causing National scandals by their (either corrupt, immoral or both) actions... painting ALL Republicans as hypocrites... is why we find ourselves where we are today.

LLS

[montag813]

For the good of the nation, we need a Constitutional Amendment—no more Bushes or Clintons—EVER. DNA testing would be required for borderline cases.

[HawaiianGecko]

Peggy Noonan was a brilliant speech writer 30 years ago.  Today, she's just 30 years older and a bit crankier.  Nothing has destroyed the Republican party.  President Bush did some bone-headed things like the nomination of Harriet Miers, but  as I recall judge Alito sits on the court, not Harriet.  It didn't make me question my party, it just caused a sore spot on my head due to scratching it in wonderment.

President Bush's biggest problem seems to have been overspending.  But, what were the big ticket items here, Iraq War, Homeland Security and the prescription drug program.  Hmmm... I can't think of two and certainly not three of these items I was against.  Percentage increases in existing programs certainly were much lower than traditional budget hikes.  President Bush didn't fight back when attacked, but I can't find the logic needed to follow this problem to the conclusion of a fractured GOP. The President IMHO is on the wrong side of immigration, but that's not destroying the GOP, in fact I'd say immigration helps pull the GOP together.  I'm sure there are more Republicans that want to throw illegals out of the country and build a fence than there are Pro-Life-Gun-Small Government Republicans.

Everyone is looking for a scapegoat to blame the Republican woes of late.  I find it humorous that so many are joining lockstep with Democrats in pointing fingers at the President.



I'm personally tired of everyone evoking the name of President Reagan. A good man and in my opinion the best President we've had in over a century, but people forget how Mr. Reagan got elected.  The holy mantra flung around is because he was a hard core conservative, or is it that he was a fiercely religious man, or a hawk or so many others that I lose track.  Well, exactly how does that explain 26% of Democrats, 27% of liberals and 54% of moderates voting for him. Heck, only 71% of conservatives voted for the man. See table/a> from raw data by American National Election Studies (ANES). He was smart enough to create a big tent coalition.

The problem with the GOP is that each of it's constituents has decided that they alone represent the party.  Evangelicals think they are the only true Republicans, far right Conservatives have the same vision, as do Neo-Cons, moderates and so on. That's why we can't find a candidate.  There is no such applicant that personifies this ideal candidate.  Republicans have finally become intolerant of themselves.  Everyone's a RINO!

Just watch for posts back to me to prove my point!!!  :-)

[Mogollon]

This is absurd. George W. Bush destroyed the Republican Party, by which I mean he sundered it, broke its constituent pieces apart and set them against each other. He did this on spending, the size of government, war, the ability to prosecute war, immigration and other issues.

In the first place El Rushbo is never absurd unless he is being absurd to illustrate the truth, so Peggy is wrong on that point. Also Rush is right that if McCain or Huckabee are nominated the GOP may well be ended because a move to a 3rd party may be the result.

Agree that Bush was terrible on immigration and spending, but was better than any democRAT would have been on the war.

[McGruff]

I read the whole article and found Drudge’s headline to be misleading until I got to the end of her commentary. I’ll agree that Bush hasn’t shown himself to be much of a conservative in areas but Peggy can be some what of a drama queen in her commentary.

[kjam22]

Bush didn’t destroy the party. Rush Limbaugh did.

[FightThePower!]

“George W. Bush destroyed the Republican Party, by which I mean he sundered it, broke its constituent pieces apart and set them against each other. He did this on spending, the size of government, war, the ability to prosecute war, immigration and other issues.”

Best part of the piece.

[tillacum]

We Republicans break up only if the screaming media and drudge tell us to. Why are we Republicans? I’m one because I believe we can do it on our own, we don’t need the government to take care of us from cardle to grave. We were given the ability to think by our Creator, a thumb, which separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. We have free choice....are we Republicans or Socialists? That is the question for today.

[NittanyLion]

Had Bush put his full energy into a few simple objectives the GOP would be poised to deliver a knockout blow this year:

1. Permanent tax cuts
2. Reduced government spending / balanced budget
3. Social Security privatization
4. Destruction of Al Qaeda
5. Border security (fence)