Conservatives grumbling at Bush

Reuters ^ | 01/21/04

[Pokey78]

Analysts at Cato, Heritage, Club for Growth unconvinced by Bush's pledge to cut deficit.

WASHINGTON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush faced open rebellion on Wednesday from some members of his fiscal conservative base for not laying out concrete plans to reduce government spending and the budget deficit.

[Jorge]

After last nights speech I decided to vote for the constitution party in November.

The constitution party. Impressive.

I decided that I'm voting for Bush. Let's see whose candidate wins.

[Consort]

Amen. Someone found this on the DU a while back.

[My2Cents]

you've essentially said "forget all the reasons that Bush isn't a conservative, and vote for him anyway."

Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying. I'm also saying that GW Bush is more conservative than the narrowminded extremists are capable of acknowledging.

[TheAngryClam]

Care to reply to my pointing out the gigantic gaping holes in your list of proof of Bush's supposed conservatism, then?

Or is he conservative because, well hell, he's got that R after his name, which automatically makes him good.

[DrDeb]

BRAVO! [I plan to re-post your 'rant' on the DOSE!]

Let me just add some HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE:

"Conservatives" on the Right excoriated President Reagan just as they now excoriate President Bush.

Many of these "conservatives" deserted President Reagan in the second and third year of his first term when he both increased spending/deficits (to the HIGHEST levels EVER as % of GDP) and rescinded many of the tax cuts that he had passed just the year before! President Reagan's approval ratings plummeted to the 30s/40s, not to recover until the 4th year of his first-term when economic growth/falling unemployment came just in time to secure the President's re-election.

In his second term, President Reagan again experienced the rath of the "conservative" Right when he "softened" his policies relative to the Soviet Union/missiles in Europe. This "softening" coincided with a blanket amnesty for illegal immigrants, a mild recession and the Iran-Contra controversy. Needless to say, the President's approval ratings again plummeted and really didn't recover until he left office -- at which time, the disaffected "conservative" Right began to 're-write' their perceptions of the Reagan presidency. In particular, they began to retrospectively applaud President Reagan for doing what he thought was right, not what he thought was politically expedient! INTERESTING; HYPOCRITICAL, BUT INTERESTING NEVERTHELESS!

[Of course, the re-writers did NOT include Reagan's OMB Director or his Secretary of the Treasury (during his first term), both of whom wrote devastating critiques of both the President and many of his economic policies! Members of the "conservative" Right can be brutal -- even to their supposed heroes!]

[Luis Gonzalez]

"The RINOs are at both ends of the GOP: the Liberal Republicans and the staunch Conservatives. They are not real Republicans and can't be counted on to keep the Democrats out of power, as was demonstrated in '92. Conservatives can be as Ideologically Correct as Liberals can be Politically Correct — and both put their self interests ahead of the country and their parties."

BUMP!

[Consort]

I fail to see the difference between the two parties anymore.

The GOP might be pro-life, pro second amendment, pro military, pro tax cuts, pro homeschooling/vouchers, etc, etc and the Democrats might not be.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Great post!

[gatorbait]

Wonder what kind of judges a such a compassionate conservative appoints.

Well apparently conservative enough to casue the Left and their willing handmaidens in the press to filibuster and assassinate their characters. So,you already know that answer.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Despite the start of what is likely to become a bruising re-election battle, George W. Bush delivered his State of the Union address last night with the highest approval ratings of any president at this point in his term since Dwight Eisenhower in 1956."

Defining "the base".

[Texasforever]

Defining "the base".

I can define it by what it isn't. It isn't the "base" screaming anybody But Bush on Freerepublic.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Here's "the base" as defined by the Dean/Kerry wing of FR.

[gatorbait]

( sic semper tyrannis) Interesting quote.Didn't John Wilkes Booth shout that in Ford's Theatre?

[MissAmericanPie]

Never heard it put quite that way, but it's hard for me to believe that anyone on the face of this earth would believe that this government sponsered invasion is only about pandering to a voting bloc or cheap labor.

It's hard to believe anyone could be that unbelievably naive and still be able to function.

[MissAmericanPie]

Like I said, no way would he be saying that "stuff" if it were not in the box with a bow on it.

[deport]

Not speaking for Jim but here is a couple of links to things he's said in the past...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1004710/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/655184/posts?page=504#504

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

If you ever want to win back your freedom, you must defeat the Democrats first. It would be a great day when the Democrats are defeated and the battle for liberty is narrowed to Republican vs Constitutionalist. But, for the time being, the Constitutionalists are not even on the battlefield. They have no army to speak of. The political war in America is between the Democrats and Republicans. The tiny third parties stand no chance at defeating either, much less both at the same time. So I say, defeat the leftist Democrat party first. That's my rationalization. You can take it or leave it. Or you may join the others with their continued mantra that there is no difference. But I do not believe that. I've seen the men and women of both parties in action and, sorry, but there is obviously a big difference.

-- Jim Robinson, 3/28/02

[My2Cents]

Reagan was pragmatic. Reagan was a doer. Many on the right are simply ivory tower ideologues with no experience, nor inclination, to actually see conservative principles incorporated into public policy. Reagan fought the good fight, and won more often than he lost. He is one of greatest Presidents, AND our greatest conservative President. He achieved. The nitpicking naysayers have never achieved anything, other than a waste of bandwidth.

[newwahoo]

"You know damn well regular Americans ain't gonna do agriculture work or clean hotel rooms."

C'mon. They're more than willing to pick up the garbage if the price is right.

[kiki p]

You know damn well regular Americans ain't gonna do agriculture work or clean hotel rooms.

I know some IT professionals who may just start considering those types of jobs, not that they particularly want to. Actually, what's a *regular* American? Many Americans DO work in the service sector, and soon many more will.