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GOP is in 'deep funk' over Bush spending
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/12/6 | Carolyn Lochhead

Posted on 03/12/2006 7:51:39 AM PST by SmithL

Washington -- The Republican rebellion that President Bush smacked into with the Dubai ports deal was the tip of an iceberg of Republican discontent that is much deeper and more dangerous to the White House than a talk radio tempest over Arabs running U.S. ports.

A Republican pushback on Capitol Hill and smoldering conservative dissatisfaction have already killed not just the ports deal but key elements of Bush's domestic agenda, and threaten GOP control of Congress if unhappy conservatives sit out the November midterm elections.

The apostasy in some quarters runs to heretofore unthinkable depths.

"If I had a choice and Bush were running today against (Democratic President) Bill Clinton, I'd vote for Bill Clinton," said Bruce Bartlett, a former Reagan administration Treasury Department official whose book, "Impostor: How George Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy," is making the rounds of conservative think tanks and talk shows. "He was clearly a much better president in a great many ways that matter to me."

Bartlett may lie at the extreme, but his critique taps into a strong undertow -- reflected in a sharp drop in Bush's support among his typically solid Republican base, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Friday.

"Bush's compassionate conservatism has morphed into big government conservatism, and that isn't what the base is looking for," said David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union. "The White House and the congressional leadership have got to reinvigorate the Republican base. In off-year elections ... if your base isn't energized, particularly in a relatively evenly divided electorate, you've got more problems than you think you have."

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 109th; conservatives; dubya100pctright; dubyacandonowrong; dubyaisneverwrong; federalspending; gop; presbushisperfect; republicans; republicansellout; republicanvalues; wemustnotopposebush
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To: johnny7
I got news for you: There's only two parties last time I looked...

I got news for you: there's only one bi-factional ruling party, the last time I looked. The only difference is who gets the spoils from our system of taxation/robbery.

221 posted on 03/12/2006 2:12:06 PM PST by jammer
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To: hedgetrimmer

""The US loses jobs to Mexico, who loses jobs to China, who loses jobs to Viet Nam or Malayasia or the worst of the worst communist and totalitarian dictatorships""


So you think someone is losing jobs to North Korea?? I dont think so.

Also you forgot to mention that all these countries are losing jobs to a real sinister force...PRODUCTIVITY


222 posted on 03/12/2006 2:16:33 PM PST by georgia2006
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To: georgia2006

Im in a deep funk because i'm surrounded by millions of illegal aliens.


223 posted on 03/12/2006 2:37:54 PM PST by samadams2000 (Somebody make The Call.....pitchforks and lanterns.!)
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To: Wasanother
I guess the Congress is no longer involved in the budget process?

Exactly. Is that bunch of bloated Pork Pig Republicans sending W an irresponsible spending package, and then daring him to veto his own party, and then blaming him for it?

224 posted on 03/12/2006 2:41:02 PM PST by FlyVet (Inherit the desolate heritages.)
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To: jammer
I hear you Libertarians got the best pot.
225 posted on 03/12/2006 2:41:27 PM PST by johnny7 (“Iuventus stultorum magister”)
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To: All
Notice how THE bush BOTS type their POSTS like THIS - PERHAPS the THINK the EMPHASIS somehow ESTABLISHES credibility with THEIR 'BUSH-can-DO-no-WRONG posts. OR perhaps THEIR CAPS button on the KEYBOARD is BROKEN.
226 posted on 03/12/2006 2:49:28 PM PST by deadrock
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To: georgia2006
That is incorrect. Back in the early 90s federal debt as a % of GDP hit about 66%. Now it is more like 60%. Since GDP is growing dfaster than the accumlation of debt, the debt to GDP level has bee nfalling since 2003, after rising in 2001-02

Federal debt at the end of the fiscal year as a percent of GDP, source Budget of the US Government 2007

2000     58.0
2001     57.4
2002     59.7
2003     62.6
2004     63.7
2005     64.3
2006     66.1 (estimate)
2007     67.5 (estimate)

Since when has the USA ever paid down debt?

The federal debt shrunk relative to the GDP from 1958-1967, 1969-1970, 1972-1975, 1977-1980, and 1997-2001.

227 posted on 03/12/2006 2:57:41 PM PST by CGTRWK
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To: ConsentofGoverned

The worst thing he ever did was to not veto the unconstitutional CFR bill.

What a nightmare...free speech is now considered anything that is pornographic and not people gathering together to express their disagreement with our government, its policies and the politicians who create those policies.

Unbelievable...

Ed


228 posted on 03/12/2006 3:16:26 PM PST by Sir_Ed
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To: georgia2006
So you think someone is losing jobs to North Korea??

You're the only one to mention North Korea. But since you brought it up,as soon as a "free trade" agreement is signed with them, countries will begin to lose jobs to them as well. "free trade" claims no loyalty to any nation, and the "free traders" consummately pursue the lowest labor costs. Since slavery is the lowest cost labor... well, you get the picture.
229 posted on 03/12/2006 3:17:37 PM PST by hedgetrimmer ("I'm a millionaire thanks to the WTO and "free trade" system--Hu Jintao top 10 worst dictators)
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To: SmithL
Congressional Republicans are a bunch of politically charged hypocrites, if they intend to go down this road from now to November.

Congress holds the purse strings, not the President.

230 posted on 03/12/2006 3:24:37 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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To: georgia2006
In a sense yes, he campaigned in 2000, on No Child Left Behind, Free Drugs for Seniors...guess you werent listening

You're right, I wasn't listening. I was one of those "broken glass" Republicans who would do anything to repudiate the Clinton/Gore's. Since my precinct was one of the last counted, my vote was probably one of the 500+ that put him over the top.

I didn't vote in 2004, but probably would have if it was close due to the terrorism issue. I won't vote again or contribute to the GOP until they get their act straight.

231 posted on 03/12/2006 3:24:59 PM PST by Moonman62 (Federal creed: If it moves tax it. If it keeps moving regulate it. If it stops moving subsidize it)
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To: ConsentofGoverned
throw in Open borders, shipping jobs overseas, Nafta -cafta , expanding Dept of ED and keeping energy and labor well Mr Bush has made it clear..RINO

Of course, you completely ignored the crux of this thread which is that the Republican controlled Congress is the one that holds the purse strings.

232 posted on 03/12/2006 3:26:35 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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To: Moonman62
Do the phrases "new tone in Washington" and "no vetoes" mean anything to you?

New tone my lily-white butt.

233 posted on 03/12/2006 3:27:35 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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To: EagleUSA
Bush basically invented and signed into law, the Medicare Reform Act (HUGE spending).

Right, his own legislation, authorized by Congress through committee debates and floor votes. So, what you're saying is Bush should start vetoing his own "inventions"? LOL!

I guess when facts get in your way, just start making goofy posts.

234 posted on 03/12/2006 3:32:19 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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To: kjo

I hope you are joking.


235 posted on 03/12/2006 3:35:41 PM PST by MamaB (mom to an Angel)
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To: PISANO
For 25 years all I hear is that the PRESIDENT is spending too much, well CONGRESS is at fault they CONTROL the PURSE!!!

President's throughout modern times have either been "too stingy" or "spending like drunken sailors on shore leave". There is, sadly, no middle ground.

236 posted on 03/12/2006 3:35:56 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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To: georgia2006
yeah, I know. It is a huge disappointment that GWB kept his 2000 campaign promises

Maybe he warned us about "free" drugs for seniors and more federal dollars for the educrats, but did he have to sign that sickening roast pork casserole the highway bill? Or the anti-trade steel tariffs? Even the tax cuts, which ended up being good overall thanks to the congress, were proposed by the president as a mish mash of pseudo-Keynesian "stimulus" ideas. And if it weren't for disloyal Republicans we'd have Harriet Miers now on the Supreme court.

Call me naive, but I hoped that compassionate conservatism was mainly strategerizing and that candidate Bush was not a socialist. Kerry would have been a national nightmare, but I am very disappointed in Pres. Bush.

237 posted on 03/12/2006 3:39:50 PM PST by SupplySider
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To: Owen
You are so right. I am really disgusted with them. They all seem to want the looney dems to win.
238 posted on 03/12/2006 3:46:33 PM PST by MamaB (mom to an Angel)
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To: Gondring
Exactly. The way the system is set up, each "representative" (small "r" to include Senators) is going to fight for the most pork (a perfect example is Sheets from WV). That's why it's essential to have a President with restraint.

No, that's why it's essential to have the line item veto. You can talk about restraint until you're blue in the face, but you'll just be ridiculed for ignoring the root cause of such outrageous pork ideas such as "the bridge to nowhere" in Alaska proposed by Senator Ted Stevens.

239 posted on 03/12/2006 3:50:50 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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To: Moonman62
W campaigned to be irresponsible with our money?

In a strange way, so has Congress.

240 posted on 03/12/2006 3:51:46 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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