HOW CONSERVATIVE IS PRESIDENT BUSH?

The Cato Institute ^ | August 3, 2002 | By Veronique de Rugy

[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:

• The education bill expands federal involvement in education. The administration originally argued that the new spending was a necessary price to get vouchers and other reforms. Yet the final bill boosted spending and was stripped of almost all reform initiatives. And there is every reason to believe that this new spending will be counter-productive, like most other federal money spent on education in the past 40 years. Children and taxpayers are the big losers.

• The farm bill is best characterized as a bipartisan orgy of special interest politics. Making a mockery of the Freedom to Farm Act, the new legislation boosts farm spending to record levels. Old subsidies have been increased and new subsidies created. Perhaps worst of all, the administration no longer has the moral credibility to pressure the European Union to reform its socialized agricultural policies. Taxpayers and consumers are the big losers.

• The protectionist decisions on steel and lumber imports make free traders wish Bill Clinton were still president. These restrictions on world commerce have undermined the productivity of U.S. manufacturers by boosting input prices and creating massive ill will in the international community. American products already have been targeted for reciprocal treatment. Consumers and manufacturers are the big losers.

• The campaign finance law is an effort to protect the interests of incumbent politicians by limiting free speech rights during elections. The administration openly acknowledged that the legislation is unconstitutional, yet was unwilling to make a principled argument for the Bill of Rights and fair elections. Voters and the Constitution are the big losers.

• New health care entitlements are akin to throwing gasoline on a fire. Medicare and Medicaid already are consuming enormous resources, and the burden of these programs will become even larger when the baby boom generation retires. Adding a new prescription drug benefit will probably boost spending by $1 trillion over 10 years. A mandate for mental health coverage will drive up medical costs, making insurance too expensive for many more families.

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.

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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

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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

• AARP Likes Bush's Prescription Drug Plan

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

• George W. Bush Told Americans Before Elected That He Was A Global Warming Wacko

• Conservatives Angered by Environmental Provision [Bush pulls another Al Gore]

Dubya's New Deal - The New FDR

• Roosevelt -- Man Of The Century?

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 ©

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Bush's Court Jester

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"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

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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.

[terilyn]

Apparantly he wasn't as sorry as he claimed. I see he went on to repost all the same info over at LP.

What a swell thing to do. He was right the first time, no excuse.

And Reg was never banned from FR. He was suspended for a week and his account was reactivated a couple of days ago.

[oldvike]

He probably should not have reposted that stuff on LP. From looking at it just now I see that he posted it within the past few hours. No doubt in response to the goings on within this thread (which he in fact said). He was prepared to appologize, admit he was wrong and let it drop until this thread came along.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

re post 534; You think oldvike "proved his point", eh?

Let the offender make it right in the same way he (supposedly) admitted it was wrong. Publicly on a thread to the offended on FR.

It would be the christian thing to do. "The circle of confession should be as large as the circle of offense".

May as well include the graphics he has done of others, as well.

And no, he did not "make his point". He pasted a post (with no link?) that not only could be on another topic, but he (Registered) has posted enough other info to support and defend his "reason" for doing what he did that this is only another attempt by you guys to get back in the good graces of conservatives on FR.

You guys are sad.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

So now a "thread" controls his life and the decisions he makes?

Backbone of a worm, IMO.

[oldvike]

You guys are sad.

Yes I am. Sad that people like you make it your life's mission to tear down others. Very sad indeed.

[dirtboy]

re post 534; You think oldvike "proved his point", eh?

Yes, he did. oldvike claimed that Registered admitted he was wrong. He proved his claim. But all you could do was qualify yours. You gonna parse "is" next?

You guys are sad.

Well, sad has two basic definitions. Sad can mean sorrowful, and, under that definition, I am sad that a person like Registered, who has added so much levity to this website, got caught up in an overly-heated debate and was first sent to the cooler and now hesitates to come back. Now, sad also can mean pathetic. I consider it pathetic when someone cannot concede a point made by the other party. Does that describe oldvike and myself? Or you?

[mrsmith]

"He was prepared to appologize, admit he was wrong and let it drop until this thread came along. "

Yeah, that's why Twodees started this mess.
Poor registered.

[terilyn]

There's been plenty of "tearing down of others" by people on both sides of this argument.

[gabby hayes]

Amnesty for those here illegally says it all. Jorge is not conservative.

[Liberty Teeth]

Here is Bush making another spectacular argument for small government.

Laugh till it hurts Teddy.

[Republican Wildcat]

Shut up.

I guess this is another example of your stunning maturity that I should try to emulate, right? LOL.

[christine]

i didn't lie, teri. if you go back and look at my post i said "i don't think...."

this is all i saw from reg. others were asking him what happened and he admitted that he was wrong in posting what he posted. i obviously did not see the posts you are referencing.

at the least, i am mistaken. i wouldn't come on here and lie about something that could easily be proven. next time, i won't be so quick to defend someone. btw, this is on libertypost, correct?

[christine]

that's the post i saw.

[dirtboy]

There's been plenty of "tearing down of others" by people on both sides of this argument.

And it's time to stop tearing down and start building. Folks on both sides of the Bush debate need to start listening to each other more, instead of being poised like trap-door spiders to jump on the words of the other side. Could Bush be more conservative? Heck, yes. But politically, CAN Bush be more conservative? That is the crux of the matter. To change that latter question in turn to heck, yes, we need to mint more conservatives. So we have this wonderful website, FR, that has exposed many people to conservative values. And then we have a thread like this one, with all the appeal to the non-FR world as a skunk in a Buick, and then we wonder why there are not more conservatives? Not too many people care to join a club where they eat their own...

[Fred Mertz]

Not too many people care to join a club where they eat their own...

Pass the salt. I'll drink to that.

What you say makes sense.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Correct? You're posting over there on the very same threads. Stop playing dumb.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

A "claim" is "proof"? okaaayyy....

And you avoided the rest of my comments, as well as the one to oldvike that you commented on. You guys should quit while your behind, really.

[facedown]

...with all the appeal to the non-FR world as a skunk in a Buick...

How dare you insult Buicks like that? A skunk in a Yugo maybe!

Just trying to keep it light.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Not too many people care to join a club where they eat their own

I agree, although I don't consider FR a "club".

But it is nice these cannibals have moved to LP, isn't it? :)

[christine]

teri used the intitials LF(which could mean libertyforum which i have not looked at for several days) TWICE, rba. i am not playing dumb. gawd, you are a pita.