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Conservatives, Cut Bush Slack
The Chicago Sun-Times ^ | June 22, 2002 | Thomas Roeser

Posted on 06/22/2002 9:46:05 AM PDT by quidnunc

This summer will mark the 47th year since I took my first Republican job: as public relations director for the party in Minnesota. Since then I have rarely strayed from politics, or my party. I served as a staffer to two GOP congressmen, to a GOP governor, as a federal appointee to Richard Nixon and as a corporate executive who supported in Washington and Springfield much, if not all, of the Republican agenda.

You can describe me as a conservative. Thus I am qualified to say that although I dearly love conservatives, they tend to be querulous, disagreeable and threaten revolt when Republican office-holders don't please them. So it is now with George W. Bush. Here is a president who has surprised us all with the firmness and resolve he showed after 9/11. I must tell you I voted for him with less enthusiasm than I had for many of his predecessors. But his administration has pleased me often — most notably on two issues: defense of America and social policy.

Yet, Bush has to get re-elected in a country that is evenly divided on philosophy. Thus he must occasionally — on matters that sometimes offend conservatives — dip into the other side's ideology for support. He has done so on three notable occasions: on the issue of steel protectionism, where he departed his free-market proclamations; on the signing of a campaign finance bill tailored by his enemies, and allowing his attorney general (in the words of Libertarian Nat Hentoff in the Washington Times) "to send disguised agents into religious institutions, libraries and meetings of citizens critical of government policy without a previous complaint, or reason to believe that a crime has been committed."

In a perfect political world, where conservatives are in the majority, these things would be sufficient to encourage a boycott of the polls. Either that or a protest vote for the Democratic opposition. But we are not in a perfect world. We conservatives have a president who didn't receive a majority of the votes, and has one house of Congress against him. He must make compromises to get re-elected. Conservatives who do not understand the nature of politics ought to stay in their air-conditioned ivory towers and refrain from political activity altogether. If they cannot adjudge the stakes in this election and the difference between Bush and an Al Gore or a John Kerry (D-Mass.) or a Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), they are foolish indeed.

-snip-

To read the remainder of this op/ed open the article via the link provided in the thread's header.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
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To: Miss Marple
This entire thread is the reason I do not post as much as I used to do, and in fact don't read as many posts here as I once did.

How'd you like the "cut Bush some slack" demand followed by the "agree with this or you're a crackpot" jab to start things off?

Gotta love that coalition-building.




1,501 posted on 06/23/2002 1:21:00 PM PDT by Sabertooth
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To: Visine Eye Drop
That's mighty rich. You have insulted about a dozen posters on this thread. Do you get a commission or something?

Well, there's two sides to every story. Should I try for a bakers dozen, twit?! Guess I just did.

1,502 posted on 06/23/2002 1:23:06 PM PDT by Reagan Man
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Comment #1,503 Removed by Moderator

To: tpaine; dcwusmc
Very politely, UP YOURS, Regen Mam. When I want some crap out of you, I'll squeeze your head.

I see you are wallowing in your own filth again. You have graduated from a sick puppy to a sh%t eating dog while sniffing the rear end of another one.

1,504 posted on 06/23/2002 1:27:40 PM PDT by Texasforever
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To: Sabertooth
>>>Gotta love that coalition-building.

I already told you, these anti-Bush people/forces, aren't interested building any coalition with the President's supporters. They all hate Bush and disdain conservative Republicans.

Btw, exactly when did you change your tune about President Bush and decide to support him? I don't remember seeing that one.

1,505 posted on 06/23/2002 1:28:37 PM PDT by Reagan Man
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To: Sabertooth
Sabertooth wrote: How'd you like the "cut Bush some slack" demand followed by the "agree with this or you're a crackpot" jab to start things off?

What I said was "Tom Roeser's credentials as an undoubted conservative Republican simply cannot be challanged without the challanger running the risk of sounding like a crackpot. "

My point has been abundently proved.

1,506 posted on 06/23/2002 1:28:46 PM PDT by quidnunc
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To: Visine Eye Drop
Congratulations on standing up for yourself on this thread, tpaine.

I fear that if some of the nutcases here had their way posters would be banned for daring to reply to Jim Robinson or the moderators with anything other than "LOL" or "I agree".

I shan't mention the names of these nutcases because they insist on being pinged to each insult!
1497



Wise move on the pings, - and thanks for a drop of rationality, visine.

You may remember one other period when the PC nutcases held sway at FR for months on end.
- Eventually, they tried to take over completely, before reason was restored. -- I've been trying to find out why we are again being subjected to this political nonsense, to no avail, -- other than the, - "We're at War" - mantra.

Nutcases Vs Constitutional Republic. --- Some war.
1,507 posted on 06/23/2002 1:30:17 PM PDT by tpaine
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To: Luis Gonzalez
Thanks for the benefit of your delusional thinking, Luis. Mexicans aren't the only illegal invaders we have a problem with. We were attacked by people who waltzed into our country as though they owned it and were able to do so because of our lax immigration standards and the fact that a lame, unconstitutional federal agency, "La Migra" has been charged with that area of our national defense. You have to practice a little creative diversion to sidestep that fact, but that has never stopped you. It's your MO as anyone who has read your nonsensical arguments knows.

No matter how those visas are issued, who is charged with checking them? Surely you're not prepared to claim that the State dept. has agents who follow up on who uses the visas they issue and to what degree they abide by the terms of the visas, are you? INS has that job and they don't do it.

It really doesn't matter what agency Bush has created after the fact. What happened on 9/11 happened for the reason I described and you can't argue that fact without changing the subject, can you?
1,508 posted on 06/23/2002 1:30:47 PM PDT by Twodees
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Comment #1,509 Removed by Moderator

To: Texasforever
Whatever
1,510 posted on 06/23/2002 1:32:19 PM PDT by tpaine
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To: Visine Eye Drop
>>>I am sure Reagan would be horrified to know someone like you had borrowed his name.

There you go again. When you attack the screen name, you lose the argument. Will you self-professed rhetorical geniuses ever get that? Nay. I highly doubt it.

1,511 posted on 06/23/2002 1:33:02 PM PDT by Reagan Man
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Comment #1,512 Removed by Moderator

To: Visine Eye Drop; tpaine
... for daring to reply to Jim Robinson or the moderators with anything other than ...

The only people tpaine gets any respect from are the discredited retreads.

1,513 posted on 06/23/2002 1:35:20 PM PDT by Cultural Jihad
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To: Cultural Jihad
Ah yes. Here we have CJ demonstrating the old "bait and snitch" technique.
1,514 posted on 06/23/2002 1:35:42 PM PDT by Twodees
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To: quidnunc
What I said was "Tom Roeser's credentials as an undoubted conservative Republican simply cannot be challanged without the challanger running the risk of sounding like a crackpot. "

I know.




1,515 posted on 06/23/2002 1:36:01 PM PDT by Sabertooth
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To: quidnunc
No, it's a "You can't do jacksquat if you're on the outside looking in while the Democrats govern" speech.

Really, What happened in 1992 when the RATS owned everything? We won congress by a landslide and effectively changed the course of American History (for a while at least). Sometimes, it's better to stand up for what you believe. The problems the Republicans face is they are becoming like the RATS in the 70s and 80s. Say/Do anything to keep your seat. Often times it's better to stand on principal (even if you lose a battle, you will win the war). However, if you bend like silly putty you'll be molded into something you never intended and hence you'll lose the war. Although you'll never see it because you've been molded by the opposition to believe what they believe.

1,516 posted on 06/23/2002 1:37:17 PM PDT by for-q-clinton
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To: Texasforever
whatever. coming from you, another yawner. thanks for stopping by.
1,518 posted on 06/23/2002 1:39:04 PM PDT by dcwusmc
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To: dcwusmc
Where is that brother of yours? I haven't seen much of him lately.
1,519 posted on 06/23/2002 1:41:14 PM PDT by Texasforever
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To: Sabertooth
Sheesh Sabertooth you are one schizophrenic kitty. Can't you just pick one image for your "signature".
1,520 posted on 06/23/2002 1:42:29 PM PDT by Dane
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