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HOW CONSERVATIVE IS PRESIDENT BUSH?
The Cato Institute ^ | August 3, 2002 | By Veronique de Rugy

Posted on 08/04/2002 8:30:36 PM PDT by Uncle Bill

How Conservative Is President Bush?

The Cato Institute
By Veronique de Rugy
August 3, 2002
Source

Veronique de Rugy is a fiscal policy analyst at the Cato Institute.

President Bush may be repeating the sins of his father. Although elected on a Reaganesque, tax-cutting platform, the White House has veered to the left. President Bush has signed a bill to regulate political speech, issued protectionist taxes on imported steel and lumber, backed big-spending education and farm bills, and endorsed massive new entitlements for mental health care and prescription drugs. When the numbers are added up, in fact, it looks like President Bush is less conservative than President Clinton.

It makes little sense to discourage one's core supporters prior to a mid-term election. Yet that is the result when a Republican president expands government, which Bush is doing. Also, academic research on voting patterns shows that a president is most likely to get re-elected if voters are enjoying an increase in disposable income. Yet making government bigger is not a recipe for economic growth. After all, there is a reason why Hong Kong grows so fast and France is an economic basket case. But you can't tell that to the Bush administration.

Administration officials privately admit that much of the legislation moving through Congress represents bad public policy. Yet they argue either that everything must take a back seat to the war on terror (much as the first Bush administration treated the war against Iraq) or that compromises are necessary to neutralize issues such as education. But motives and rationalizations do not repeal the laws of economics.

In less than two years, President Bush has presided over more government expansion than took place during eight years of Bill Clinton. For instance:

Those policy decisions make government bigger and more expensive. They also slow the economy and hurt financial markets -- read the headlines lately? For all his flaws, President Clinton's major policy mistake was the 1993 tax increase. Other changes, such as the welfare reform bill, NAFTA, GATT, farm deregulation, telecommunications deregulation, and financial services deregulation, moved policy in a market-oriented direction.

Perhaps most importantly, there was a substantial reduction in federal spending as a share of gross domestic product during the Clinton years. Using the growth of domestic spending as a benchmark, Clinton was the second most conservative president of the post-World War II era, trailing only Ronald Reagan.

To be sure, much of the credit for Clinton's good policy probably belongs to the Republican Congress, but that is not an excuse for bad policy today. And on one positive note, President Bush has "promised" to fight for partial privatization of Social Security. Yet, so far, President Bush has not vetoed a single piece of legislation. Needless to say, this means it will be rather difficult to blame "big-spending" Democrats if the economy continues to sputter.


Compassionate Conservatism Means Big Government

No To 'Compassionate Conservatism'
"Marvin Olasky, the former Marxist journalism professor who coined the term. But he and George W. Bush are barking up the wrong tree if they think "compassionate conservatism" is going to rally popular support necessary to effect the real change needed to turn this country around."

President Highlights Compassionate Conservative Agenda for Inner Cities


If You Want Increasing Huge Government, Vote Bush

BUSH SPENDING BILL LARGEST EVER

U.S. quietly OKs fetal stem cell work - Bush allows funding despite federal limits on embryo use

Bush Signs Largest Family Planning Bill In U.S. History

Un El día En El la vida de Jorge W. La arbusto

OPEN BORDERS

Bush's 'open door' slammed

"I told the Congress that I want to make sure that the Mexican citizen here is well-respected," Bush said. "And one way to do that is to pass 245I."

CFR - "I Believe In Free Speech"

Meanwhile, Back On The Farm

Bush Urges Congress To Deliver on Prescription Drugs For Medicare

GOP Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Advances in House - Another Trillion Dollars

Pig Book - 2002

Orgy At Federal Trough

Bush and House Republicans Push Legislation For Full Drug Subsidies For Low-Income Elderly

Bush Prepares 'Big-Time' Response To African Famine

Government Spending - War Against The Stock Market

Bush signs debt-limit increase

Bush Pushes Minority Homeownership

Bush's Food Stamp Plan Called Ethnic Pandering

Bush Wants Food Stamps For Non-Citizens

Worse Than Drunken Sailors!

Senate Clears Way For Trade Bill - More Spending

BUSH AND THE BIG GOVERNMENT GOP

Security Bill Loaded With Wasteful PORK

Senate Ok's $31.5 Billion Anti-Terror Bill Loaded With Pork

How Bad Can Things Get?

George W. Bush and Gun Control

Bush Pushes Gore Plan For Orwellian Government

Bush Backs Down From Immunity Demand - Caves Again

Bush administration has been "as bad, if not worse" than the Clinton administration when it comes to the transfer of sensitive technologies to the People's Republic of China

BUSH, G7 to pay $20 billion to get rid of Russian nuke stockpiles

George W. Bush - The Global Warming Sell-Out

Dubya's New Deal - The New FDR

Bush Won't Label Arafat A Terrorist

George W. Bush's Terrorist Buddy

"When peoplelose faith in their institutions they trust to enforce the law, justice is no longer possible."

Bush Caves On Airport Screeners

Bush's Latest Srategic Mistake

BUSH: NINE FORMER PRESIDENTS WRONG; CLINTON RIGHT!

CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS? GEORGE BUSH'S NEVER-ENDING DOMESTIC BUDGET BUILD-UP - Father Like Son

Bush Appoints Four More Homosexuals

Dr. James Dobson Criticizes Bush Appointment to the CDC

Bush Pushes $500 Million HIV/Aids Funding For Africa

Bush to Propose Another $100 Million Over Five Years for Education in Africa

Are You Fat? No Problem, George W. Bush Will Help

House Conservatives Budge on Arts Spending

Bush Cheers Government Support For Art

Bush to Name Justice Dept. BUILDING After Kennedy

GOP Right In Iowa Fear Purge

GOP Leaders Spurn Right in Key Races

Laura Ingraham's analysis of yet another Bush betrayal

Bush decisions rankle conservatives

BUSH PROPOSES LARGEST EXPANSION OF GOVERNMENT SINCE TRUMAN

Bush's Record Calls into Question His Conservative Label

Conservatives Question Dubya's Direction

Conservatives not satisfied with Bush's record

Bush, Ashcroft Run Roughshod Over Bill Of Rights, Study Says

Republicans: Big Government Addicts

A Few Questions For Die-Hard Bush Supporters

Are Republicans losing their constituency?

Ann Coulter: BUSH PAYS HOMAGE TO THE FETISHISTIC RITUALS OF LIBERALISM

Compassionate conservatism is about socialism, not Americanism

Bush is jettisoning his principles for what?

Bush: stop the runaway federal spending and regulating!

Mark Levin Hammers Bushbots

Was Clinton More Conservative Than Bush? - Fox News

Bush: A Democrat in Republican clothing?

Bush continues Clinton Agenda

GEORGE W. BUSH: CLINTON'S THIRD TERM ©


Bush's Court Jester


"Another way to make sure that we foster growth and restore confidence is to hold people accountable for misdeeds in the public sector."
George W. Bush - University of Alabama at Birmingham Alys Stephens Center - July 15, 2002.

NOTE: Do As I Say, Not As I Do.


A Bush administration insider has privately leaked word that a deal was struck between Democratic congressional leaders and the Bush White House not to prosecute Bill and/or Hillary Clinton

Bush Administration Lawyers Defending Hillary - Gratis

Bush and Ashcroft Justice Dept. Hamstringing Pardongate Probers.

Bill Clinton broke the law and the Republicans let him off the hook.

What we need is the tough Newt Gingrich back.

"As far back as April 7, 1998, then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich was asked on NBC’s Today if he were going to press for impeachment. His response: "No, we don’t have any evidence."
Source.

Al Gore Broke The Law and the Republicans let him off the hook.

"I don’t care if you have proof that he raped a woman, stood up and shot her dead, you’re still not going to get 67 votes."

Bush Says He Wants to Let Clinton 'Move On'
"Listen, here's my view: I think it's time to get all of this business behind us. I think it's time ... to allow the president to finish his term, and let him move on and enjoy life and become an active participant in the American system. And I think we've had enough focus on the past. It's time to move forward." - George W. Bush.

Bush Won't Dwell On Clinton Affair, "We're Moving Forward"
"B/S, Mr Bush. Clinton is a criminal and a traitor. We demand a thorough investigation and prosecution. Our Republic is dead and our liberty is at stake if the next administration does not clean up this mess for now and forever more. Corrupt politicians must pay the price for subverting our Constitution and using their offices for personal gain."
4 Posted on 01/20/2000 14:17:56 PST by Jim Robinson


A Republic If We Can Keep It - Bush Trashing The Constitution

It's About The Republic, Not The Republican

How Big Is The Government's Debt? - $33.1 TRILLION

There Must Be Some Way Out Of Here


"Not over my dead body will they raise your taxes,"
George W. Bush - SOURCE.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial
KEYWORDS: biggovernment; bush; conservatism; constitution; fraud; socialism; spending; waste
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To: Twodees
You seem to be deternmined to ignore my point.

Not really, but when it's your word against terilyn's and Mo1's, it's just a little hard for me to side with you, Mr. "Howlin Got Registered Banned".

Sorry to bust your bubble.

I'll tell you what. I don't want anyone posting my first, middle, and last name and giving my neighborhood out on this board - and at a minimum, he did that to Howlin. As if that's not bad enough.

If you think it's so shrug-worthy, then I would like to know why you won't give us that same information about a female loved one.

You're like a freakin' bulldog with this thing. If you are a decent individual - and I would like to give you the benefit of the doubt on that - then at least admit it was a VERY BAD THING for him to have done. Can you do that?

301 posted on 08/05/2002 12:32:05 AM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
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To: TLBSHOW
WHY RUSH IS DISGRUNTLED (Bush is advancing the Democrats most liberal agenda )

GROW SPINE, GOP, INVESTIGATE CLINTON (NOW says Rush Limbaugh)

Smoke Out The Clinton's

RUSH LIMBAUGH: BUSH "NO CONSERVATIVE"

LIMBAUGH RIPS BUSH WHITE HOUSE OVER GLOBAL WARMING 'FLIP-FLOP'

302 posted on 08/05/2002 12:32:19 AM PDT by Uncle Bill
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To: Twodees
Post your name and address please.
303 posted on 08/05/2002 12:32:53 AM PDT by Texasforever
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To: TLBSHOW
wife? LOL we are dealing with a little boy here don't you know?

Didn't know, but I'm pretty sure he won't tell us. That would be personal information, and we can only post that about Howlin and get away with it. ;)

304 posted on 08/05/2002 12:33:43 AM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
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To: F16Fighter
How in the world can enforcing our borders and deporting illegals at once not be considered an important duty AND obligation of this Republican administration? It truly boggles the mind...

It not only boggles the mind, if this unabated, unregulated, never ending invasion continues, it will eventually destroy this country, in my opinion....

305 posted on 08/05/2002 12:34:29 AM PDT by Joe Hadenuf
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To: nopardons
Puleeze!! At least Eisenhower had the b@lls to enforce US sovereignty, repel then kick the Reconquistas back where they belonged back in the 50s. This President is Sgt. Schulz when it comess to border enforcement.
306 posted on 08/05/2002 12:35:06 AM PDT by F16Fighter
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To: Twodees
You're drunk, boy. I'm advising you to quit right now before you mess up.

Did I nail you in one of those categories or was it all of them? It is too damned late to start whining now BOY. You teed this puppy up so lets beat it to death.

307 posted on 08/05/2002 12:35:30 AM PDT by Texasforever
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To: Uncle Bill
You best read everyone of them and then tell the true story with your own words.
308 posted on 08/05/2002 12:36:02 AM PDT by TLBSHOW
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To: terilyn
And I'm not feigning, it is offensive and as you stated in your post, (in not so direct words), meant to intimidate. I'm sure Dr. Keyes would be impressed...

Oh, please. It's a figure of speech, lady. I didn't say it was intended to intimidate anyone. Let me assure you that I'm not a Keyes supporter at all. Keyes would be horrified if he thought anyone like me was a supporter of his. He's more your speed, being a republican and all....

309 posted on 08/05/2002 12:36:36 AM PDT by Twodees
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Comment #310 Removed by Moderator

To: Uncle Bill
What's happened to this thread is the same thing that is happening to this country. Campaign finance, big government, lobby money, immigration policies, political corruption, education, ethics are no longer issues. The only important matters, so it seems are the two political parties. I guess the mantra here is either you are with us or against us.

If I hire someone to head a department and I don't like what he is doing I'm going to tell him so instead of making excuses for him. They say it's not politically correct to ctiticize. I didn't realize how indoctrinated this country already was to political correctness as evidenced on this thread. I feel safer when people speak out. When people stop speaking, well, you can judge for yourself. It's like when the woods suddenly becomes quiet.

311 posted on 08/05/2002 12:37:44 AM PDT by Enough is ENOUGH
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To: Twodees
Oh Lord, the horror. Someone can find out I'm white and voted for several republicans this past year. I'm doomed.

Where do you live, and what is your full name? What is it going to take to get you to see that this was a dangerous and terribly egregious offense? It's so easy to insist it's no big deal when people only know you as "Twodees". Something tells me "Twodees" wouldn't be so tough if someone pulled this on him/her.

312 posted on 08/05/2002 12:37:51 AM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
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To: Joe Hadenuf
See reply #163.
313 posted on 08/05/2002 12:38:05 AM PDT by Sandy
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To: TLBSHOW
Are all those links Uncle Bill post, all lies?
314 posted on 08/05/2002 12:38:18 AM PDT by Joe Hadenuf
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To: Sandy
Thanks sandy......
315 posted on 08/05/2002 12:38:32 AM PDT by Joe Hadenuf
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To: F16Fighter
At least Eisenhower had the b@lls to enforce US sovereignty, repel then kick the Reconquistas back where they belonged back in the 50s. This President is Sgt. Schulz when it comess to border enforcement.

Your point?

316 posted on 08/05/2002 12:38:45 AM PDT by Texasforever
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To: Joe Hadenuf
"It not only boggles the mind, if this unabated, unregulated, never ending invasion continues, it will eventually destroy this country, in my opinion...."

Ditto!

And yet, many of our well-meaning fellow FReepers seem more than willing to give Dubya a free pass on this defining issue of American sovereignty -- that is purplexing...

317 posted on 08/05/2002 12:39:40 AM PDT by F16Fighter
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To: TLBSHOW
Uncle Bill Clinton posted them you mean.

What gives you the standing to call Uncle Bill that? You need to shut up before you make a bigger fool of yourself than usual.

318 posted on 08/05/2002 12:40:40 AM PDT by Twodees
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To: Joe Hadenuf
re all those links Uncle Bill post, all lies?

Are all of those links uncle bill posts the truth?

319 posted on 08/05/2002 12:40:42 AM PDT by Texasforever
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To: Twodees
Are you saying that Reg is a magician

What I am saying is .. he stepped over board when he made that post .. it was not funny and he was not baited into it .. he knew what he was doing

Now I know you could careless what I have to say .. so why don't we just leave it at that

320 posted on 08/05/2002 12:41:07 AM PDT by Mo1
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