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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: Don Corleone
I got news for you: There's only two parties last time I looked... and this public, Republican mea culpa is coming at precisely the wrong time. They behaved pathetically this weekend in Memphis.

I see the Dem's picking up seats just by showing up in November... if this whining, Republican meltdown continues.

21 posted on 03/12/2006 8:12:56 AM PST by johnny7 (“Iuventus stultorum magister”)
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To: MineralMan

[quote]Perhaps Congress should be angry at itself...just a little.[/quote]

Congress isn't one person, the President is. When you say Congress should be angry at itself, well maybe some are. I'm sure we could find 20-30 members who, given the complete legislative power, would produce a budget conservatives would love.

What to do about the problem we have with a system biased toward higher and higher spending? We can all posit our theories.


22 posted on 03/12/2006 8:13:15 AM PST by madeinchina
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To: ndt

I did chuckle.

LLS


23 posted on 03/12/2006 8:13:38 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (Preserve America... kill terrorists... destroy dims!)
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To: SmithL

This is one I don't really lay at Bush's feet...

Think it's been as much Senatorial pork, as anything else.


24 posted on 03/12/2006 8:14:34 AM PST by CowboyJay (Rough Riders! Tancredo '08)
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To: SmithL
Moving to stanch the damage, Bush called last week for Congress to grant him a line-item veto to prevent members from redirecting money in spending bills to their pet projects, a practice known as earmarking that has achieved notoriety under the GOP.

Clinton asked for the same authority, and it was granted, but struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional. Would Bush's luck be any better? Does Ms. Lochhead want us to believe that it's only Republicans that act irresponsibly?

25 posted on 03/12/2006 8:14:39 AM PST by Fresh Wind (Democrats are guilty of whatever they scream the loudest about.)
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To: NonValueAdded

One small problem ... the Legislative branch spends, not the Executive.
-----
Bush basically invented and signed into law, the Medicare Reform Act (HUGE spending). He has not vetoed one massive piece of spending legislation since he has been in office. He is a massive liberal spender, bar none. A totally hypocritical position when he campaigned on reducing the scope of government and spending in government....


26 posted on 03/12/2006 8:17:12 AM PST by EagleUSA
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To: EagleUSA
When did the constitution change giving Bush the privilege of making law? Bush hasn't been perfect but all I've heard for the last year since Bush won the election,"separate but equal branches of Government".
BTW, Congress created CIFIUS way before Bush took office and Congress should have changed it when the Chinese took over port terminals if it's been such a problem.
27 posted on 03/12/2006 8:18:24 AM PST by Wasanother (Terrorist come in many forms but all are RATS.)
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To: SmithL
And who in the hell do we contribute the spending. All President Bush did is sign the bill that comes to his desk. Most spending is directly to blame on the House and Senate and most of the pork is add to vital bills needed to protect the Country. President Bush needed the line item veto to tear those pork project from the bills. The President believed that to build a better America it would take partisanship. Giant mistake believing in the RATS.

Also I would think the few posturing Republicans should somehow wave their magic wand and WOW! No hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, no war, and when these jacka@@ find the magic wand, let me know.
28 posted on 03/12/2006 8:23:19 AM PST by Logical me (Oh, well!!!)
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To: Wasanother

There are a handful of subversives on FR, friend. They are maneuvering to try to undercut GOP activism and generate Democrat seat gains. In general, the best defense is do not respond to them and then their pro Democrat threads stop being bumped unless they do it themselves -- which is counterproductive to their intent. Just letting you know. Concentrate your attention on the threads that engender enthusiasm for victory, both in Iraq and in 2006 vulnerable districts.


29 posted on 03/12/2006 8:23:24 AM PST by Owen
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To: ndt

The GOP and Dems will never allow a Libertarian candidate, or any third party candidate for that matter, to enter the national debate. Sad really...


30 posted on 03/12/2006 8:24:13 AM PST by TrollBridge
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To: Moonman62
They've all been pirates with taxpayers money but I get tired of congress getting a free pass. If they cut discretionary spending in half, the deficit goes away in two years even with paying for some wars but instead they brag on cutting it 5%.
31 posted on 03/12/2006 8:24:54 AM PST by Wasanother (Terrorist come in many forms but all are RATS.)
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To: Wasanother

When did the constitution change giving Bush the privilege of making law?
-----
Nobody said any such thing. He didn't. But he did sponsor it, to say the least, the Congress approved it, and he signed it into law.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/11/25/elec04.medicare/


32 posted on 03/12/2006 8:25:16 AM PST by EagleUSA
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To: SmithL
Congress is the one with the spending problem. The problem lies there. Bush has enabled them, unfortunately, by not taking stand. No one on that end of Penn. Avenue should be complaining about spending.
33 posted on 03/12/2006 8:25:25 AM PST by ilgipper
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To: hosepipe
Read the first paragraph and knew where it was going.
Shees, and from San Francisco. Hooda thunk.
34 posted on 03/12/2006 8:26:29 AM PST by AGreatPer
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To: Owen

After 2 straight weeks of watching this charade, I'm going to follow your advice. Thanks


35 posted on 03/12/2006 8:26:58 AM PST by Wasanother (Terrorist come in many forms but all are RATS.)
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To: SmithL

"""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." ""



Bruce Barlett clearly suffers from BDS. Obviously terrorism isnt something that matters to Mr. Bartlett.

Bruce and other ill informed conservatives, including some here, were so anxious to get past the Clinton years, that they rallied to GWB simply based on his 1998 re-election numbers (65% of the female vote, 50% of the hispanic vote, 35% of the black vote), that they didnt bother to actually listen to what GWB was saying on the campaign trail. Bush PROMISED to free drug progam to seniors in 2000. Bush never claimed to be the heir of Reaganomics, thats where compassionate conservatism came from. These jilted conservatives are simply upset because GWB has followed thru on his 2000 campaign promises...next time pay attention


36 posted on 03/12/2006 8:27:38 AM PST by georgia2006
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To: SmithL

"Impostor: How George Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy" - except President Reagan did not control spending either, did he?

The President - any President - should set a spending goal and veto anything that exceeds that. And that is all Bush would have to do. Veto "budgets" until they meet his expectations. But he is too busy spending "feel-good" money. Sad.


37 posted on 03/12/2006 8:28:40 AM PST by DennisR (Look around - God is giving you countless observable clues of His existence!)
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To: SmithL

I hope no one accuses me of being a Bushbot for pointing out two facts inconvenient to GOP congress-critters:

1. Congress is responsible for setting the budget, not the President.

2. The tax cuts -- pushed by the President over the linguini-spined fears of many GOP congress-critters -- have resulted in *much* larger tax revenues being collected in 2005 than before the cuts, adjusted for inflation.

Given that Congress has more money to spend than they would have with a Gore administration and that the GOP Congress is responsible for what spending over our real needs in defense that we have spent, my suggestion is that if they are seeking someone to blame that they stop looking at Bush and start looking in a mirror.


38 posted on 03/12/2006 8:30:32 AM PST by No Truce With Kings (The opinions expressed are mine! Mine! MINE! All Mine!)
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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""


Bush never passed NAFTA, is was passed in 1993 with the support of a majority og GOP in congress

Jobs going overseas is something that has been going on for decades, not since Jan 20, 2001....only massive govt central planning (communism)of the economy could prevent yesterday's jobs from moving overseas.

Expanding the Dept of Ed is something Bush promised in 2000, werent you paying attention???

Bush never promised to get rid of the Dept of Energy or Labor, neither has any GOP Presidential candidate...ever


too bad your so confused.


39 posted on 03/12/2006 8:31:27 AM PST by georgia2006
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To: Owen; Howlin

BTTT!
Exactly.


40 posted on 03/12/2006 8:32:54 AM PST by onyx (IF ONLY 10% of Muslims are radical, that's still 120 MILLION who want to kill us.)
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