Posted on 07/01/2003 8:46:22 AM PDT by justshe
The Summer of Our Discontent with George W. Bush
The amount of discontent being expressed toward President George W. Bush on Free Republic seems to be increasing exponentially.
For the purpose of discussion, I have attempted to to draw up 2 lists. The first list is of accomplishments or 'directions' this administration is going. The second list, is for those items or behaviors many would like to see addressed or changed. I have made every attempt to list as many items as I could recall....or find by perusing MANY threads. I am sure I have missed some items.
Obviously, some of you will think some items on each list are not correct, that they should either NOT be listed, or are listed on the wrong list. Either way, it IS a start.
I have gleaned these items from multiple threads and posts going back over two years on Free Republic. These are NOT listed in any 'time-line' order.
If you have individual ping lists.....please use them to facilitate the widest possible discussion.
Presidency of George W. Bush --the first 30 months
Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty.
Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court.
Killed the U.S. - CCCP ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses.
Reversed Clinton's move to strike Reagan's anti-abortion Mexico Policy.
Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California.
Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules that would have shut down every home business in America.
Passed 2 tax cuts----1 of which was the largest tax-Dollar value tax cut in history
Pushed through TWO raises for our military.
Increased Defense Dept funding which had deteriorated during the previous 8 years
Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit
Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers.
Ordered Attorney-General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, NOT a leftist-imagined "collective" right.
Successfully executed 2 wars: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom.
Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the Presidency
Reorganized bureaucracy...after 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency: the Department of Homeland Security.
Initiated discussion on Social security and individual investment accounts.
Improving govt. efficiency with .8 million jobs put up for bid...weakening unions and cutting undeserved pay raises. Wants merit based promotions/raises only.
Executed a WAR ON TERROR by getting world-wide cooperation to track funds/terrorists (has cut off much of the terrorist's funding and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network)
Stopped foreign aid that would be used to fund abortions.
Ended abortions on military bases
Signed E.O. reversing Clinton policy of not requiring parental consent under the Medical Privacy Act
Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control.
Set to sign Partial Birth Abortion Ban
Orchestrated Republican control of the White House, the House AND the Senate.
Killed the liberal ABA's role in vetting federal judges for Congress.
GWB signed an executive order enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision (re: union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes)
Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed
Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ.
Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia
Initiated comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE was critical.
Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the first ten ABM silos in Alaska, so that America will have a defense against North Korean nukes
Turning around an inherited economy in recession.
Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals.
Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains
In process of eliminating IRS marriage penalty.
Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people
Signed into law the CFR legislation (under dark of night)
Signed into law the No Child Left Behind legislation delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations)
Reorganized the INS in an attempt to safeguard the borders and ports of America and to eliminate bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability.
Signed trade promotion authority
Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men and women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa
Urging Medicare Reform
Urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits
Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims
Submitted comprehensive energy plan--awaits Congressional action. ( works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy)
Endorses and promotes The Responsibility Era ("In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else -- to one in which every single American understands that he or she are responsible for the decisions that you make; you're responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you're responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you're responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you're responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself. " -----this quote was too good to leave out)
Started the USA Freedom Corps
Pushing for passage of Prescription Drug Benefit package for Seniors which will have 'means' testing with a goal towards privatization of Medicare and CHOICES based on current Federal Employee Health benefits program.
Initiated review of all federal agencies with a goal to eliminate federal jobs (review to be done by September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of federal gov while increasing private sector jobs.
Part of coalition (Russia, Israel, Palestine, USA) for Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace"
Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become The League of Nations ( in other words, completely irrelevant)
Nominated strong, conservative judges to the judiciary.
Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary clean-up of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger.
As part of the national forests clean-up, the President restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges) and removed the need for an EIS (Enivironmental Impact Statement) before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger.
Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.
Cut federal spending on libraries by $39 million.
Cut $35 million in funding for doctors to get advanced pediatric training.
Cut funding for research into renewable energy sources by 50%.
Revoked rules that reduced the acceptable levels of arsenic in drinking water.
Blocked rules that would require federal agencies to offer bilingual assistance to non-English speaking persons
Proposed to eliminate new marine protections for the Channel Islands and the coral reefs of northwest Hawaii
Cut funding for research into cleaner, more efficient cars and trucks by 28%
Suspended rules that would have strengthened the government's ability to deny contracts to companies that violated workplace safety, environmental and other federal laws.
Approved the sending of letters by Interior Department appointee Gale Norton to state officials soliciting suggestions for opening up national monuments for oil and gas drilling, coal mining, and foresting.
Appointed John Negroponte -- an unindicted high-level Iran Contra figure to the post of United Nations Ambassador.
Abandoned a campaign pledge to invest $100 million for rainforest conservation.
Reduced by 86% the Community Access Program for public hospitals, clinics and providers of care for people without insurance.
Rescinded a proposal to increase public access to information about the potential consequences resulting from chemical plant accidents.
Suspended rules that would require hardrock miners to clean up sites on public lands.
Cut $60 million from a Boy's and Girl's Clubs of America program for public housing.
Proposed to eliminate a federal program, designed and successfully used in Seattle, to help communities prepare for natural disasters
Eliminated funding for the Wetlands Reserve Program, which encourages farmers to maintain wetlands habitat on their property.
Cut program to provide childcare to low-income families as they move from welfare to work.
Cut a program that provided prescription contraceptive coverage to federal employees (though it still pays for Viagra).
Cut $700 million in capital funds for repairs in public housing
Appointed Otto Reich -- an un-indicted high-level Iran Contra figure -- to Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs.
Cut the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency by $500 million.
Proposed to curtail the ability of groups to sue in order to get an animal placed on the Endangered Species List
Rescinded the rule that mandated increased energy-saving efficiency regulations for central air conditioners and heat pumps.
Abandoned campaign pledge to regulate carbon dioxide, the waste gas that contributes to global warming.
Gutted the White House AIDS Office.
Renegotiated a free trade agreement with Jordan to eliminate workers's rights and safeguards for the environment.
Cut the Community Oriented Policing Services program
Allowed Interior Secretary Gale Norton to shelve citizen-led grizzly bear re-introduction plan scheduled for Idaho and Montana wilderness
Continues to hold up federal funding for stem cell research projects
Makes sure convicted misdemeanor drug users cannot get financial aid for college, though convicted murderers can
Refused to fund continued cleanup of uranium-slag heap in Utah
Refused to fund continued litigation of the government's tobacco company lawsuit.
Signed a bill making it harder for poor and middle-class Americans to file for bankruptcy, even in the case of daunting medical bills
Cut $15.7 million earmarked for states to investigate cases of child abuse and neglect
Helped kill a law designed to make it tougher for teenagers to get credit cards
Canceled 2004 deadline for automakers to develop prototype high mileage cars.
Earmarked $4 million in new federal grant money for HIV and drug abuse prevention programs to go only to religious groups and not secular equivalents
Reduced the Low Income Home Assistance Program by 40%; it aided low-income individuals who need assistance paying energy bills
Told U.N. "NO" re: global tax
Items still to be accomplished and/or addressed
Allow sunsetting of AWB
Fix illegal immigration issues and border control
Limit/eliminate federal entitlement programs
Cut size of federal budget
Shrink federal government job force
Hate all Dems and do not treat them civilly
Don't appoint any homosexuals to public office
Don't meet with Grover Norquist--or Muslims--or Homosexuals
Kill all terrorists in Israel
Drop the idea of a Palestinian state
"Eliminate" all Palestinians
Need means testing on Senior Rx legislation
Get the United States out of the United Nations
Banish the United Nations from U.S. soil.
Stop all foreign aid.
Stop all foreign aid to the Palestinians
Eliminate Steel and Wood tarrifs
Talk non-stop, at every opportunity, about judicial nominees and lack of Senate vote.
Push Frist out.....bring back Trent Lott
Fire Karl Rove
Fire Colin Powell
Too bad all the good threads get posted and run their course so early in the day when I'm normally not around.
I've printed it out and I'm keeping a copy in my wallet. ;-)
The problem is, too many Bush supporters frame this as an all or nothing debate. Bush has done a lot of good things. But there is a fundamental problem now with the GOP - having told us for years that things would get better if they were just in charge, they instead are making certain matters far worse (child tax credit, Medicare) and are caving to the Dems in key areas. So that is what we need to work on - that the GOP needs to start acting like the majority party - and IMO the GOP will NOT take conservatives seriously as long as we publicly say we'll vote for them no matter what crap they pull on us. If you want an example of the pitfalls of unquestioning loyalty to a party, just look at the experience of blacks within the Dem party.
Can't argue with that!
10th grade - private school.
With a 51-49 majority in the Senate THERE IS NO GOP MAJORITY!!
After he lost the Majority Leader job, Daschle declared that every bill and every appointment would require 60 votes to pass. In other words, the Democrats will filibuster everything sent up from the House and everything Bush attempts to do. If you guys who are constantly calling for conservative purity would take into account the current political reality in Washington, you would seem smarter.
So the GOP simply doesn't pass Medicare reform this year. It doesn't pass the child tax credit for folks who don't pay taxes. The Dems couldn't have done this without GOP help and without Bush signing the bills.
If you guys who are constantly calling for conservative purity would take into account the current political reality in Washington, you would seem smarter.
First of all, I'm hardly a person constantly calling for conservative purity. But the latest antics of the GOP are to conservatism as spilled bleach is to colored fabrics. And YOU would seem more credible if you would quit apologizing for every GOP transgression with the cry "We just need more Republicans" - when it was the GOP that allowed this nonsense to pass.
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