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Abandoning Bush

May 18th, 2008
By ROBERT STEIN

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crowd_20scene.jpg

The rush to get off the S.S. Bush turned into a stampede this week as John McCain, Congressional Republicans and even the Saudis headed for the lifeboats.

King Abdullah, who used to hold his hand, gave Bush the royal finger when asked to pump more oil to ease gas prices.

John McCain backed away from the Imperial Presidency, not only by promising to emulate British prime ministers and regularly going to both houses of Congress to answer questions but also, as a New York Times editorial put it:

“McCain said, if elected, he will…work in ‘concerted action’ with other nations to counter the nuclear threats of Iran and North Korea; and eliminate a tax meant for the rich that is crushing the upper-middle class. He promised to not ’subvert the purpose of legislation,’ as Mr. Bush has done, with signing statements.”

Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans were jumping ship by joining Democrats in ignoring Bush’s veto threats with lopsided votes to boost food stamps and farm subsidies and to order the Administration to stop pouring oil into the nation’s emergency reserves.

Over vocal White House opposition, 35 of 49 Senate Republicans voted with Democrats to pass a $290 billion farm bill to increase food aid for the needy. A hundred House Republicans had voted the same way after the party’s third straight loss of a long-held GOP seat on Tuesday.

After seeing the results of Dick Cheney’s help in that special election, Congressional Republicans have a sinking feeling about November. If George W. Bush is looking for friends until then, he will have to turn to his dog Barney.

Cross-posted from my blog.



This entry was posted on Sunday, May 18th, 2008 at 5:21 am and is filed under Oil, Saudi Arabia, Gas Prices, Bush Administration, Newsweek Blogitics, John McCain, Republicans, 2008 Elections, Congress, Domestic Programs, Middle East, Politics. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Viewing 27 Comments

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    Good. We get a GOP holiday.

    No more GOP. No more conservative thought. No more filabusters. No more blocking votes. No more Harry Reid whining that he can't get things done.

    Its put up or shut up time for the democrats. This will be their moment to shine or go down in blaze of glory.
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    The loyalty of a canine can be pretty unconditional, but even Barney might have had enough.
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    NEocon,

    The real question is what is the U.s. getting with the coming one party state? If you look at places like DC, Baltimore, LA, or Detroit, it should be obvious that many Democratic voters do not care about suceess of any policy as long as they get thier own personal benefit from a Democratic controlled government.
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    Superdestroyer

    Is it really so bad to have the democrats in control?

    If they fail they will be thrown from office with a fury that will make GWB look like a good guy. I predict 72 senators and 310 in the house for the Democrats this fall. It really is time to put up or shut up.

    The Question then becomes will they indeed force things on people that they know they really dont want. Such as Gay marriage, Abortion, Appeasement, Pulling out of the middle east. How will they fight the war on terror or is there really a war on terror?

    Times change. We went thru 30 plus years of a conservative slant in this nation while the people themselves have tended to become much more liberal. When you put the liberals in charge I am betting that the governing powers that be will become more conservative in their governance.

    It is how it works in this nation because their have been many times in our history in which one party or the other has had vast power and did very little to change things.

    We shall see
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    Neocon said:

    The Question then becomes will **they** indeed force things on people that **they** know they really dont want. Such as Gay marriage, Abortion, Appeasement, Pulling out of the middle east. How will **they** fight the war on terror or is there really a war on terror?


    I have to laugh Neocon.

    When most LIBERALS refer to LIBERALS (Democrats refer to Democrats; Republicans refer to Republicans) they use the pronoun "WE" not the pronoun "THEY.

    Liberals call Conservatives "They"... Republicans call Democrats "They"...

    Neocon continues to call liberals and Democrats "They"; "Them"; and "Those". Thinking he's coming across as a "liberal Democrat". Sorry job of wool pulling there buddy but you just keep trying.
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    "Is it really so bad to have the democrats in control?"

    Not really, at least not in the short term. We even have years of knowledge and experience with Hillary Clinton and her radical politics in the past (we are not fooled by any fake "centrist" or "moderate" ploy this year) and we're not aghast at the prospect she (or Obama) would be the next President. In fact, we're anticipating this, as this is most likely.

    "We went thru 30 plus years of a conservative slant in this nation while the people themselves have tended to become much more liberal."

    Not true. The public has become more conservative, not more liberal, than prior to 1980. That's despite the Dems' easy entitlement temptation of everyone, health care.
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    "I predict 72 senators and 310 in the house for the Democrats this fall."

    I overheard someone saying this past weekend or just before it that the Dems expect to have well over sixty seats in the Senate after November. This should be, hmmm, interesting. Sixty-plus seats in the Senate and the White House, too?

    They will have the chance to enact at least some of what they want. Now, what do they want?
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    SteveK

    Why are you calling me a liar Steve? Bored?

    As for me I try to keep politics impersonal and therefore do not become angry when people like you call me a liar. My world will not end if Hillary is not elected. Im afraid yours might if Obama is not elected.

    Sad for you.
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    Neocon,

    Your suggestion that I called you a liar got me to go back and check my last twenty posts.

    1) I have NEVER called you a liar though I have on several occasions pointed out that you don't sound (write) like a liberal OR a Democrat... You sound like the image your "TMV UserID" implies... you sound like a Neocon. AND, you've never once answered when asked why you refer to liberals and Democrats as 'THEY', 'THEM' and 'THOSE'. This is probably why I am so "confused". : )

    2) I have a preference in the upcoming election but I have not mentioned it in my last twenty comments... nor will I now.

    But I CAN (and will) say that as long as 'WE' liberals... 'WE' Democrats win the Presidency and strong majorities in both houses I will be happy. THEM, THEY, and THOSE who want the conservative Republican ticket are the only ones badmouthing either of OUR candidates because the longer this fiasco continues the stronger THEIR position becomes.

    Maybe if you'd go back and read YOUR last twenty posts you'd have a better idea of who is acting like their world is being threatened.
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    I agree with Neocon that now (or more accurately if a Dem is elected prez in Nov and Dems control Congress) is the time for Dems to produce. I remember when Dubya took office there were definitely some missteps and adjustments while he settled in. The same will be true of the Dems- there will be some missteps and adjustments. In some cases the Dems will probably over reach with their newfound power. So there should be a honeymoon period of six to eight months. But if the Dems egregiously misbehave and become corrupt, they should be held accountable (I'm not suggesting that the Dems be given a carte blanche, rather that they need to be given some time to settle in).

    If the Dems can't set this country on a better course, then we should elect people who will.

    BTW: Anyone who claims that the Republicans a