The American Spectator

Pete Chagnon /p> p> “Clintonian response”? Whoa, is that supposed to be a low blow to the Bush White House: to say their response to the Katrina disaster was “Clintonian”? Would that it were so! Can you seriously doubt that, if Katrina had hit while Clinton was President, then he would have been up for 48 straight hours, working the phones, getting things done? Not sitting around with his thumb in his bum waiting for his staff to recommend something? Get serious. br> — Steve Vinson br> South Bend, Indiana /p> p> I agree. Bush has squandered whatever chance he had to make major changes in Social Security and national security. But I’m not sure what you mean by his “Clintonian response to Hurricane Katrina.” James Lee Witt headed FEMA during Clinton’s administration. FEMA was a quick and able responder. Now, because of this current administration’s incompetence, FEMA is itself a disaster. I think you meant to say George Herbert Walker Bush’s response to Hurricane Andrew, did you not? Just making sure. br> — Chris Woods /p>

What has happened to the Grand Old Party? The party of Eisenhower and Rockefeller?

Given the dismal failures of the conservative agenda to beef up weapons spending, downsize social services spending, and neglect infrastructure maintenance in favor of fat, no-bid contracts to Bush campaign supporters (but otherwise under qualified) was highlighted by the way Bush’s good friend, “Heck -of-a-Job” Brown did not perform as FEMA head nearly as well as he did for the Arabian Horse Assn (who gave him the boot), I cannot think of why anyone with an income of under $250k and wasn’t heir to a fortune would vote for a GOP candidate again. Ever.

The master plan to replace competent second, third, and fourth tier government employees with party-loyal grads from no-name colleges where they majored in Bible study, was a loser that is going to take us years to recover from. The voters are meeting those badly trained people and are turning away, not from big government, but from the Republican Party. Without knowledgeable people in those support jobs, it is not going to be possible for high profile guys like Brown to succeed. Let’s face it: every administration puts cronies and supporters to work after winning office, but in the past they could always look to the lower echelon employees to carry the load and make the guy at the top look good. Now we have bozos below and above and it doesn’t take a liberal Democrat to see the screw-ups anymore, my friends.

p>Get ready for a huge swing to the dark side in voter preferences in ‘06 if we don’t drop some of these dumb ideas quick. The far right had its chance and blew it. It’s time to swing back to the middle or even the Rockefeller wing.