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.

[Amelia]

Last I heard, rdf said the law existed.

I guess he was lying too?

[Satadru]

Without calling names, why don't you cite me the law. You should try not to just vomit back whatever are the talking points from the White House. You are committing a bigger fraud by being a yesman for a liberal RINO.

[Satadru]

Dont play that game with me, since I have no tolerance for it. Show me the law, and even I can get it overturned by the SC tomorrow. Every administration passes its own budget. If such a law actually existed, Amtrak would have been taken care of until 9999.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Isn't it strange that those who have pretended to be on a higher level of morality than we lowly Bush supporters end up being outed by their own doing? Sweet irony I guess.

If I remember correctly, the freeper in question here holds either an elected or appointed position in his church. I bet you they would be very proud right now.

[Republican Wildcat]

I believe the name of the law was the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993. I'll do some more checking to make sure that's the name of the law.

In any event, it's not really necessary to find the law itself, since I believe the NIH is an independent agency, like OSHA, and is therefore not subject to direct presidential control.

[Republican Wildcat]

Yes, that's the law. And it granted the NIH a lot more power than just what is being discussed on this thread (a great cause for concern, IMHO). Just put NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 into a search engine and you will see what I mean.

[Republican Wildcat]

By the way, that law is Public Law 103-43.

[Uncle Bill]

The White House actually thinks people still believe this:

President George W. Bush - Biography

SOURCE: http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/gwbbio.html

"George W. Bush is the 43rd President of the United States. Formerly the 46th Governor of the State of Texas, President Bush has earned a reputation as a compassionate conservative who shapes policy based on the principles of limited government,...

LOL!

"Too often, on social issues, my party has painted an image of America slouching toward Gomorrah. Too often, my party has confused the need for limited government with disdain for government itself."
George W. Bush - New York Times, p. A14 Oct 6, 1999. In a speech to the Manhattan Institute.

"I am a conservative because I believe government should be limited and efficient, that it should do a few things and do them well."
George W. Bush - Book: A Charge to Keep, William Morrow, 1999.

"My concern about the role of the federal government is that an intrusive government, a government that says, ‘Don’t worry, we will solve your problems’ is a government that tends to crowd compassion out of the marketplace, that too often in the past people said: ‘Somebody else will take care of the problem in my area. Don’t worry. The government is here.’ "
George W. Bush - Source: Remarks at Cityteam Ministries, San Jose, CA Oct 31, 2000.

The surest way to bust this economy is to increase the role and the size of the federal government."
George W. Bush - Source: Presidential debate, Boston MA Oct 3, 2000.

Gore offers an old and tired approach. He offers a new federal spending program to nearly every voting bloc. He expands entitlements, without reforms to sustain them. 285 new or expanded programs, and $2 trillion more in new spending. Spending without discipline, spending without priorities, and spending without an end. Al Gore’s massive spending would mean slower growth and higher taxes. And it could mean an end to this nation’s prosperity."
George W. Bush Source: Speech in Minneapolis, Minnesota Nov 1, 2000.

"People need more money in their pocket, as far as I’m concerned."
George W. Bush - The Tampa (FL) Tribune Oct 26, 2000.

I was deeply concerned about the drift toward a more powerful federal government. I was particularly outraged by two pieces of legislation, the Natural Gas Policy Act and the Fuel Use Act. It seemed to me that elite central planners were determining the course of our nation. Allowing the government to dictate the price of natural gas was a move toward European-style socialism. If the federal government was going to take over the natural gas business, what would it set its sights on next?"
George W. Bush - Source: “A Charge to Keep”, p.172-173 Dec 9, 1999

Small, limited government George W. Bush, playing golf somewhere near you

[Mo1]

Is this thread still going??

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Hey sweety (not being sarcastic), he really did admit that what he did was completely stupid and unacceptable. I promise.

Hey, cutie! ;) I knew you weren't being sarcastic...in spite of our many differences (PACKERS RULE :)), we are friends, as far as I'm concerned.

I saw what you're referring to days ago - I know that's true (and I just got here, but it looks like you posted it here somewhere...I am reading the thread backwards and just skimming right now). What I believe he said was that there was no excuse for what he did. He was right, and I think he should have stopped right there - but that's just me. I didn't see anything about "stupid and unacceptable", but I don't read everything over there.

I also saw some of the other stuff that was posted subsequently. Like boasting about how he had "let Freepers know" what a deadbeat, unregistered voter Howlin is (she's not - there IS an innocent explanation for her status looking that way online), and a number of people "hooting" and high-fiving him over what he did. I saw other people making it look as though he was a victim; if he corrected them, I missed it. To be fair, maybe he did not see their posts.

Then I saw this morning where he posted all the same stuff again, apparently retrieved using some information NOT available here on FreeRepublic. It seems the management there does not have the integrity to remove it, though they have protected the identity of others. I don't understand that. I know you like it there (yeah, I read your stuff :)) - so I won't put you in the awkward position of having to weigh in on that point.

Now you go and have a nice Green Bay kind of day. :) Heheh...

[Texasforever]

So, if I read this correctly, you feel that I am Jerk. Is that about right? LOL

[sleavelessinseattle]

Not at all...you're unAmerican because you choose not to show respect to people who are trying to improve Free Republic...LOL...Now I think you're illiterate.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Descriptive generalizations?

He starts by calling everyone who he doesn't agree with a Liberal, then goes on with the Bushbot thing, and closes with the old Southern stand-by of calling a man "boy", and suggesting that he's drunk.

But, hey! You don't find any of that insulting...right?

Well...mine wasn't a personal attack either then, it was an inquiry, and an attempt at understanding DeeDee's pain.

[Inspector Harry Callahan]

From the article: "In less than two years, President Bush has presided over more government expansion than took place during eight years of Bill Clinton."

Excellent post Unc. The Cato Institute nails it again. BTTT.

[Texasforever]

Remarks At The Signing Of
The Brady Gun Control Bill
by Sarah Brady
United States Gun Control Activist

November 30, 1993

Thank you, General Reno. She didn't tell you that on that courthouse step alone, fighting for the Brady Bill, there was one other woman -- the Attorney General herself. And right along the way this year since we've been fortunate enough to have her in Washington, she's been right along with us.

It's a special day for us all. I don't think it every occurred to me that I would be this emotional. And I walked in and looked at the faces here and the memories that come back over these past seven years -- every face I look at brings back a different memory.

And I want to thank a lot of people here, and I'm going to try to do it as quickly as possible. Everybody here has helped. And each of you in your own way reflects many others across the country. First of all, I want to say to have an administration, an Attorney General, a Vice President, and a President who we knew would sign this bill is of the utmost importance.

I'd like to draw attention also to another President, who we feel very close to, President Ronald Reagan, who supported it and came out for the Brady Bill, and who made it a badge of honor for Republicans -- (applause) -- and brought this bill into the arena where it was not a partisan issue.

[Texasforever]

Not at all...you're unAmerican because you choose not to show respect to people who are trying to improve Free Republic...LO

That is the dumbest sentence I have ever read. At least it was short.

[deport]

Da Law...... for the professor.

SEC. 113. NULLIFICATION OF MORATORIUM.

(a) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in subsection (c), no official of the executive branch may impose a policy that the Department of Health and Human Services is prohibited from conducting or supporting any research on the transplantation of human fetal tissue for therapeutic purposes. Such research shall be carried out in accordance with section 498A of the Public Health Service Act (as added by section 111 of this Act), without regard to any such policy that may have been in effect prior to the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) Prohibition Against Withholding of Funds in Cases of Technical and Scientific Merit-

(1) IN GENERAL- Subject to subsection (b)(2) of section 492A of the Public Health Service Act (as added by section 101 of this Act), in the case of any proposal for research on the transplantation of human fetal tissue for therapeutic purposes, the Secretary of Health and Human Services may not withhold funds for the research if--

(A) the research has been approved for purposes of subsection (a) of such section 492A;

(B) the research will be carried out in accordance with section 498A of such Act (as added by section 111 of this Act); and

(C) there are reasonable assurances that the research will not utilize any human fetal tissue that has been obtained in violation of section 498B(a) of such Act (as added by section 112 of this Act).

(2) STANDING APPROVAL REGARDING ETHICAL STATUS- In the case of any proposal for research on the transplantation of human fetal tissue for therapeutic purposes, the issuance in December 1988 of the Report of the Human Fetal Tissue Transplantation Research Panel shall be deemed to be a report--

(A) issued by an ethics advisory board pursuant to section 492A(b)(5)(B)(ii) of the Public Health Service Act (as added by section 101 of this Act); and

(B) finding, on a basis that is neither arbitrary nor capricious, that the nature of the research is such that it is not unethical to conduct or support the research.

(c) AUTHORITY FOR WITHHOLDING FUNDS FROM RESEARCH- In the case of any research on the transplantation of human fetal tissue for therapeutic purposes, the Secretary of Health and Human Services may withhold funds for the research if any of the conditions specified in any of subparagraphs (A) through (C) of subsection (b)(1) are not met with respect to the research.

(d) DEFINITION- For purposes of this section, the term `human fetal tissue' has the meaning given such term in section 498A(f) of the Public Health Service Act (as added by section 111 of this Act).

[terilyn]

and going and going....

[terilyn]

Now why'd you have to go mess up this nice clean thread with facts? ;)

[Mo1]

Well I gotta put the kiddies to bed ... maybe when I come back the facts will mean something ..

I can still dream .. can't I