The American Spectator

Liberal Reader| 3.21.10 @ 11:45PM

Blame it on Bush?

Hah!

Maybe. Republicans also spent the last year telling Americans this bill would bring communist nazi socialism to the US and institute bureaucratic death panels ...

What's going to happen when next year at this time none of those dark prophecies have come to pass?

TeethVA| 3.22.10 @ 12:33AM

And what's going to happen if and when the dark prophecies do happen? Who will the Dems blame? They own this disaster hook, line and sinker.

Dont love Bush| 3.22.10 @ 12:37AM

I have to agree, Bush was a pantywaste and let the nutjobs assume control.

TeethVA| 3.22.10 @ 12:42AM

So, blaming Bush and calling him names will take of things now? Get real. We have to get serious about this November and make sure that Speaker Pelosi becomes ex-Speaker Pelosi and that as of Jan. 2011, Obama becomes a lame duck.

Patriot| 3.22.10 @ 12:59AM

Just make sure our candidates are strong conservatives who can articulate our beliefs.
NO RINOS!!

Eric Cartman| 3.22.10 @ 11:02AM

strong conservatives who can articulate our beliefs.

Well, that leaves GW out on two counts.

Tillie| 3.22.10 @ 11:54AM

Duh, Eric, duh!

Patriot Sara| 3.22.10 @ 12:03PM

Start working the primaries. We won't get anywhere without patriots picking up on the primaries--NOW!

DooDaa| 3.22.10 @ 12:59AM

It will be 2014 before we will find out not next year I think by 2016 we will be a bankrupt 3 world country good luck city folk

joe hadenuff| 3.22.10 @ 1:01AM

"What's going to happen when next year at this time none of those dark prophecies have come to pass?"

Obvioulsy you are one of those REAL shortbus useful idiots. The TAXES start asap but the required coverage (and your personal coverage for sex change, brain transplants and "self esteem" therapy doesn't kick in for 3-4 years after.

HOW ELSE do you think they can explain the shell game with the $?

But don't worry, after we take back the Congress, we'll only arrest and deport the marxists in the Congress and the WH, not the idiots like you who helped them.

JmsA| 3.22.10 @ 1:32AM

I guess you haven't heard: most of the onerous provisions in the legislation, save for the increasing taxes, are not slated to kick in until the election of 2012. Care to guess why? I think most of this web site's readers have figured it out; have you? Besides, we won't have to wait until next year?--after all, a mid-term election is less than eight months away, ample time for most Americans, who made it expressly clear they did not want any part of this, to finally display their discontent at the polls.

Cwilly| 3.22.10 @ 11:58AM

Just think 8 months is only a blink of the eye away. Dems enjoy while you can because you are going to strangle on your own arrorance.

Trysk| 3.22.10 @ 2:57AM

Obviously the pathology has manifested itself
A pathological liar is usually defined as someone who lies incessantly to get their way and does so with little concern for others. Pathological lying is often viewed as coping mechanism developed in early childhood and it is often associated with some other type of mental health disorder. A pathological liar is often goal-oriented (i.e., lying is focused - it is done to get one's way). Pathological liars have little regard or respect for the rights and feelings of others. A pathological liar often comes across as being manipulative, cunning and self-centered.
source:http://www.truthaboutdeception.com/confront_a_liar/public/pathological-compulsive.html

bambushka| 3.22.10 @ 11:51AM

Takes one to know one. His mother lied to two men and showed him how to have little concern for others. His acorn has not fallen far from her tree.

JP| 3.22.10 @ 4:38AM

Here's what to expect before the end of the year:

Two to fourfold rises in insurance premiums for all carryers.

A steadily confusing situation at the doctor's office -meaning 2-3 week wait times.

Large layoffs in the insurance field. It sucks to be an insurance underwriter now.

Smaller, regional insurance firms will either close thier doors or join Geico in the auto insurance markets

Large private drug store chains will stop taking new Medicaid and Medicare customers

Doctors will stop taking Medicaid and Medicare patients. Cash will return as a preferred method of payment

Companies will begin dropping health insurance as a benefit as early as this summer

It will become impossible to buy private insurance as rates will balloon almost immediatly.

Unemployment will surge above 11% as companies that can, will begin to re-locate overseas where the business and political climate is better

And the NHS will begin immediatly to put together "death panels" in order to reign in Medicare costs.

All before Christmas

David| 3.22.10 @ 11:27AM

Unfortunitly, I think you will be correct.

bambushka| 3.22.10 @ 11:53AM

Doctors and hospitals will go belly up when they no longer are profitable.

Cwilly| 3.22.10 @ 12:08PM

To seniors on medicare part D. It is time for you and your doctors to get your ship in order. Several months ago when I realized what was going to happen, I got with my doctor and reworked my medicine requirements so I could buy everything from local retailers( Walmart, Target ect). My cost went down and I feel better because I don't have to take a handout from Uncle Sugar anymore that I have too. Every little bit counts. You can exercise, loose weight and eat right and cut your meds requirements also. Don't let this new law rule your lives.

Tyler| 3.22.10 @ 5:51PM

Good post! Empower yourselves.

Bonita D. Latham| 3.23.10 @ 12:05PM

What a delusional idiot you are.
Health care reform has been much too long in coming. Millions have suffered from a system stacked to help the rich and ignore the needs of the average working American.

Jeff Woodman| 3.23.10 @ 1:18PM

And death panels. Don't forget the death panels.

And a hole will be torn in the time/space continuum and we'll all be sucked into an alternate universe.

And Santa will die.

Oh, the horror...

Juliet| 3.24.10 @ 2:37AM

"Death Panels" just mean rationed care, moron.
Hope you're last on the list to get help.

Grzmlyk| 3.22.10 @ 8:32AM

Try waiting ten years.

If you can wrap your head around that.

Dave| 3.22.10 @ 10:45AM

Well, it won't happen next year, because this doesn't really takes place until I believe 2014. Well, except the increase in Taxes...That's going to have to come soon to prepay for this disaster.

Of course, blame Bush, he's at fault for everything...That argument is getting old and won't hold up much longer.

Patricia| 3.22.10 @ 10:53AM

Amen to this

Liberal Reader? Really?| 3.22.10 @ 10:49AM

You can tell Liberal Reader doesn't know his stuff just by looking at his name.

Now we know the liberals just passed a socialized healthcare bill, but Liberal Reader is on to something when he says that socialism won't come to pass next year. The bill doesn't actually pay out benefits until 4 years from now, so it won't get really bad until then and until the system starts running out of money, but it does start raising taxes now, so that will hurt the economy.

I hope Liberal Reader is happy with a healthcare bill that provides 6 years of coverage each decade. I thought he supported universal coverage?

What will happen in the next few years is that the majority of Americans who are against this bill will find out that they were right.

jcb22| 3.22.10 @ 11:14AM

Obviously you havent read the bill. First comes the taxes and reduction in Medicare payments....that was the only way it scored under a trillion for the first 10 years.....the overtaking doesnt start till 2013...you people just dont understand. If you wanted a european style of healthcare, move there and leave the best on in the world alone.

jcb22| 3.22.10 @ 11:14AM

Obviously you havent read the bill. First comes the taxes and reduction in Medicare payments....that was the only way it scored under a trillion for the first 10 years.....the overtaking doesnt start till 2013...you people just dont understand. If you wanted a european style of healthcare, move there and leave the best on in the world alone.

bueller| 3.22.10 @ 11:32AM

Next year this time Obama will be fighting a losing battle for a second term, without the ability to pass a fart through congress, which at that point will be Republican controlled.

In 2012, we elect a Republican President and the campaign to repeal Obamacare begins its endgame, including a rider to repeal Roe v Wade. The Dems will squeal, but they've set the bar pretty low for the shenanigans a dominant party can now use.

Payback's a bitch.

David| 3.22.10 @ 12:59PM

I'm really tired of every aspect of life in our great country hinging on abortion and homosexual marriage. From this point forward, they shall be known as the "A" word and "H.M." words and anyone who speaking them in an election cycle, shall be shipped off to an re-education camp.

Nobama| 3.22.10 @ 1:22PM

Easy for you to say, David--you weren't aborted.

Crying at stupidity from all| 3.22.10 @ 11:59AM

Liberal reader maybe, but no reading comprehension at all... Next year? We may start paying for it this year but we won't see most of it implemented for YEARS. If this clusterfark survives, the dark prophecies will come around no doubt, but by the time they do this thing will be as entrenched as Medicare and Social Security.

Cwilly | 3.22.10 @ 12:15PM

Wonder what draws a leftist progressive to this type of site the day after. Maybe he or she finally needs a shot of truth and reality.

NOT Liberal | 3.22.10 @ 12:26PM

Liberal Reader, you miss the point. I'm not interested any government involvement in my health care -period. The real problem is that your dreams of social medicine must involve me. Build your own utopia how ever you want but don't make it mine. But, you did not and cannot do your grand scheme without telling me how to live. Perhaps when they determine you no longer are deserving of medical care and they are pulling the plug on you, you will remember what you had and how you not only tossed it away for yourself, you destroyed it for me too. I will not forgive you or this Congress for that.

Dick Schmidt| 3.22.10 @ 5:17PM

So We Want to Play The Blame Game

First let’s blame Obama. He has orchestrated passage of a giant health care bill which he left Pelosi and Reid in charge of crafting. Although the Democrats control both houses of Congress it took a lot of outright bribes and several reams of paper to come up with an ugly sausage of a bill.

Let’s blame Bush. His administration did not act on conservative principles and by the time his second term ended, the wheels were coming off our economic wagon. Yes. The economy was heading down as Obama was sworn in.

Lets blame Mccain for not winning the election. Obama defeated handily largely because conservatives and independents did not accept Mccain’s conservative credentials.

In the end it comes back to blaming Obama. We are not going to see an economic recovery without JOBS (which have only received lip service from the president). But after health care, seems like Obama’s agenda doesn’t include jobs as much as it will swing into action on immigration, tax and trade as well as other costly and pointless distractions.

And the beat goes on

wtfci| 3.21.10 @ 11:50PM

Can either party do anything to stop the Federal Reserve Chairman from controlling interest rates to prevent the chair from leading monetary policy on a crash course for bigger government?

Bush Republicanism will not go without its share of the blame. But the elephant in the room continues to be how much power rests in the hands of the Federal Reserve to dictate the course of capital formation in the United States.

I want the Fed to remain independent. But I think we're lying to ourselves when the shareholder makeup of the Fed is turned upside down with bank mergers that tore down the regional ownership that made the Fed an effective independent institution. With the present course of bank consolidation and the total liquidation of local community banking, the Fed is no longer an institution with regional power. It is now a consolidated apparatus of Wall Street investment banking.

Whatever the Merchants of Venice want, the Merchants of Venice will get.

Dale in NJ| 3.22.10 @ 10:51AM

The FED is only a small part of the problem. Goldman Sacs and JP Morgan are the true problem. They have the ability to manipulate the markets and dictate monetary policy. If you want to clean up the financial system, you don't have to go any farther.

Conservative Reader| 3.21.10 @ 11:59PM

where am I? What planet am I on here? American Spectator's authors are blaming Bush for this? What idiots.

Sam Wonacott| 3.22.10 @ 12:56AM

So deal with the argument put forth. Did Republicans shrink the influence of government in health care or increase it?

Good lord. I can't believe that people still think "Republican" and "conservative" are synonymous.

Conservative Reader| 3.22.10 @ 1:02AM

Oh please can the pretended astonishment crap there dude.
You fraudulent turd. Or should I say Toddard?

Sam Wonacott| 3.22.10 @ 4:26PM

I wish I could say my astonishment was pretend. I guess I just kind of assume people will take the time to deal with arguments they disagree with in a responsible, mature way rather than simply whining about it.

My apologize.

Sam Wonacott| 3.22.10 @ 4:27PM

*apologies

Mike| 3.22.10 @ 1:02AM

Like civil suits where blame is apportioned - Bush does share some blame (as do RINOs) - because of a failure to push for reforms that would let the private sector work properly.
Maybe Bush is responsible for 20% ...and the Socialists are responsible for 80%.

Will| 3.22.10 @ 12:01AM

Liberal Reader,

The healthcare bill won't go into effect for another few years. But we pay for it immediately.

Suspicious Reader| 3.22.10 @ 12:22AM

Most websites have trolls in the comments. Here we have a troll writing the blog. A professional moby?
The "question conservatives should be asking though, is how did we get in this position in the first place?" Not "what do we do now?" Not "how do we fix it?" But "who do we blame?" I'm glad I don't live in the same house we this guy, it must be an unpleasant place.

Mike| 3.22.10 @ 1:04AM

At some point, it is essential to do a proper "autopsy" to determine what caused the death (of liberties, in this case.)
If you don't know what the historical causes were that lead to the loss - then you will be doomed to repeat the mistakes! A little retrospection is appropriate ...and once having a realistic "post-mortem" - the Republicans should now go forward with a plan that ensures their own mistakes won't be repeated!

Suspicious Conservative| 3.22.10 @ 2:13AM

Congress has just enacted Obama's health care takeover. Republicans united and, because of that unity, came close to defeating it. Without that spirited, unified and principled opposition the takeover would have happened last year. If the Democrats had enacted it easily over a divided and backbiting opposition, an opposition that never got its message out, could anyone even dream of repeal? Do you really believe that right now is the time to be blaming Republicans not up to the Klein standard? Do you believe that if Republicans had spent more of 2009 blaming Bush and less defending against the Democrats' health care plan the county would be better off? Klein does. When something goes wrong in your house is your first reaction "who should we blame"?

Juliet| 3.22.10 @ 2:41AM

It's not about blame it's about accountability.
We have to take responsibility for our part in this mess before we can fix it.

Then we can smash the dumbocrats.

George| 3.22.10 @ 12:24AM

I can see that Bush Derangement Syndrome has infected American Spectator.

Looks like I can add your site, along with MSNBC, to the list of lunatics to ignore

emo| 3.22.10 @ 12:24AM

I agree mostly with the above. But there was something else: Iraq War. 2006 and 2008 werent about Bush expanding Medicare in 2003, afterall he won 51% of the vote in 2004.

If the Iraq war had never occurred, we wouldnt be here. Obama wouldnt be President. Most likely Hillary would but the GOP would have far more seats in both chambers of congress. Talent, Burns, Allen all would have survived plus probably 30 or so GOP house members.

The price for Iraqi freedom was American enslavement

breffnian| 3.22.10 @ 1:48AM

I agree. The Iraq war created Obama and gave Dems their congressional majorities in 2006 and 2008. Victory was in sight in 2008 but the financial crisis intervened to give Obama victory. The price for Iraqi freedom was Obamacare. Republicans took their eye off the ball on domestic policy and gave Democrats an historic opportunity. That needs to change.

CSULB| 3.22.10 @ 10:44AM

Did the financial crisis intervened to give us Obama- or the "international bankers" who produced it?

RayH| 3.22.10 @ 10:38AM

The Iraq war was only a problem because Bush insisted that our military fight it on a politically correct basis, with one hand tied behind their backs, if you will (which is the way we are still fighting, by the way). If he had allowed the military to fight to win it would have been over and done with before the left could get ginned up.

Missy| 3.22.10 @ 12:30AM

I will always be grateful to GW Bush for his courage and stalwart defense of our nation after that terrible September morning nearly nine years ago; thank you, Mr. President.

But after saying that, I must agree with Klein; Bush's profligate spending and lack of leadership as our Conservative standard-bearer are in large part responsible for the election of this power-mongering Marxist.

Mike| 3.22.10 @ 1:09AM

And of course - a proper analysis should include the fact that the PUBLIC wanted a "compromiser". They wanted Bush to reach across the aisle and come up with compromise solutions. It is that squishy middle (so called "socially liberal/but fiscally conservative" RINO types would would abandon Bush and vote for Democrats had he not given the US legislation like No Child Left Behind Education "reform", and the Senior Drug Bill (both being very expensive, yet a fraction of the costs that the Democrats would have pushed for.)

So ultimately, it is the general public that has done it to themselves. Sort of like California - where the public votes for referendums that expands services, but rejects taxes. They might as well vote for unicorns to bring in the leprechauns' pots of gold to balance the budget there. The public gets the government that they deserve ..and in general, they are now getting what they deserve.

Missy| 3.22.10 @ 1:37AM

I don't know, Mike; I wasn't real happy about the Compassionate Conservative crap--I was offended, actually. Weren't you?

I also didn't like it when Bush teamed up with Teddy for that No Child Left Behind disaster. Teddy was always a snake.

I don't remember having a real choice of a candidate in 2000; GW was the RNC's candidate and that was that.

I guess you can always "blame it on the people"--it's a pretty amorphous exercise in pinning blame; but don't you think GW and the RNC have some responsibility for this debacle?

You mention the disaster that is California; a lot of that 'disaster' is the direct result of lax illegal immigration policies that GW actively supported.

I can tell you one thing; no way in hell do I want another RINO like him. Absolutely NO to Jeb Bush--and I'm not kidding.

And I am not alone.

alyeska| 3.22.10 @ 1:39AM

and i will always wish gw bush had his eye on the ball instead of being on vacation before 9/11 so that 3,0o0 americans did not have to die.

bush bled the beast with the idea that that would cripple the democrats from enacting any legislation that would benefit the american people -- but, cricky -- he didn't count on a new breed of democrat, one with cajones.

welcome to the 21st century!

Conservative Reader| 3.22.10 @ 1:48AM

And here we have the Ultimate in Trolls, Ladies & Gents!

Blame Bush for 9/11.

Let's all just have a Merry Old Time this day blaming Bush for the country's ills. So immature and asinine.
Way to obfuscate, dimwit.
And all the other dimwits will say, "Amen" won't you?
It's mass insanity!

breffnian| 3.22.10 @ 1:57AM

Blaming Bush for 9/11 is kind of sad. After all Clinton ignored a growing Islamist threat for years. And it's easy for Dems to act tough when they have huge majorities. This is not a new breed of Democrat. For heavens sake, Pelosi, Reed, Hoyer, Waxman etc. are all pushing 70. They're the last relic of disastrous 60's liberalism. This is their swansong. The 111th congress is a freak interlude before the conservative resurgence which started with Reagan continues.

Conservative Reader| 3.22.10 @ 2:07AM

You're a breath of fresh air and a person who lives in reality.
Hooray to the swansong! May they all croak at once.
And how hopeful is your last sentence!
Amen!

Patriot| 3.22.10 @ 2:08AM

And I will always wish that Willy Nilly pervert Clinton hadn't wasted 8 YEARS as president; screwing around with young interns, repeatedly rejecting Sudan's numerous offers to give us custody of Bin Laden, allowing Jamie Gorelick to erect a 'wall' which prevented the FBI from reading the hijackers' laptops, ignoring al Qaeda terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, bombing 'aspirin' factories to distract from his many scandals and allowing our country to be repeatedly attacked by terrorists without connecting the dots.

And most of all, I wish Clinton had taken our national security seriously and that his 8 year tenure as POTUS hadn't been a complete dereliction of duty as Commander in Chief.

Clinton--8 YEARS in office
Bush-----8 Months in office
Who is really to blame for September 11, 2001?
You be the judge.

Screw you, Alyeska, crawl back under the rock you call home.

The Realist| 3.22.10 @ 12:30AM

I've gotta hand it to the power elite, they played this hand extremely well.

It's interesting to observe that many of the recent events have transpired as a result of the boredom of a few individuals & families.

The dark threats of oppression are simply another notch in their belts. The true payoff comes with looming social chaos. Either way they win: siphoning off assets & collecting profits.

Ultimately, it's difficult not to side with them; the sheep are pathetic creatures and deserve to be slaughtered.

code| 3.22.10 @ 12:31AM

Mr. Klein, I hope you read the comments. Because someone needs to tell you that "shooting in the tent" (to quote Roger Ailes) does more harm than good.
If you wish to blame someone who is Republican and who was involved in truly making the House bill a reality last time, all you need to do is to go over the president's guest list for the football game.
If you need to blame someone, pls. blame someone who had a hand in this. Really, what you are doing is as funny as what the mainstream media is doing when they "toast" Sen. Scott Brown for the success of Obamacare. It is meant to turn Republicans on each other rather than on solving the problem.
We all feel sad. The natural tendency is to strike out and play the blame game. While it is pleasant to grouse over what someone did not do, it does not contribute to the solution of it.
I too mourned what Democracy has become in the eyes of the entire world who watched as many of the lies, dirty tricks, and manipulation in the book were used to pass this bill so some person's audacious dream to rewrite history can be fulfilled.
This is Democracy, bare and she is ugly to behold, muchless uphold.
Many authoritarian regimes are likely having a good laugh at America's expense.
So think again before you condemn.
God bless America!

Pete| 3.22.10 @ 12:33AM

The groundwork for a radical ass like Osama to get elected was laid over decades. I don't think anyone believed this was possible in our system with the general leanings of its people. But these america hating liberals have been scheming this whole time, working behind the scenes, taking over education, the media, etc...until they could affect the feeble minded enough to trick them for just long enough to do something like this. Thankfully, they got impatient at the end and left the 2nd amendment mostly intact. That will be their ultimate undoing.

TeethVA| 3.22.10 @ 12:50AM

Pete, I agree with you that this has been planned for "years". Google "George Soros and Maurice Strong" and see what comes comes up. It's prescient and frightening.

Missy| 3.22.10 @ 1:14AM

Google "Cloward-Piven" if you really want to see what the morons are up to. Hellacious.

dae| 3.22.10 @ 12:07PM

Ha, ha, ha. Google this, google that. Don't you know Google is part of the great Internationalist conspiracy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Missy| 3.22.10 @ 1:20PM

What are you afraid of, dae? Information is good, right? So is the truth.

TeethVA| 3.22.10 @ 2:49PM

Dae,
We know that google information is slanted toward the left. So is most of the rest of MSM. But we have to arm ourselves with information and be able to compare and discern the truth from falsehoods. If you have any history books around from the last century, you will see a major difference in what is being taught to school kids today.
I have in my possession 3 books that my grandparents had to read about our history in order to become citizens of this great country. These books would be burned today if the libs got their hands on them. The truth will set us free from this abomination we call our federal gov't today.

Dantes| 3.22.10 @ 12:33AM

Spot on analysis. I don't think the GOP can pull us back from this,nor can all the dreamers believing in Constitutional challenges.

The Republic. Is. Over. as we know it. The answer is in the Declaration of Independence. Just a matter of time.

Gregory L. Jackson, PhD| 3.22.10 @ 12:36AM

Bush was a slightly conservative liberal, not a conservative free-market leader. I said many of the same things about Bush on Free Republic and got kicked off as a "liberal troll." I figure the liberal trolls were the Bush-bots who backed him because he was GOP. Later, the same Bush-bots wailed and cried. It's time to vote for principles rather than for celebrities and scions and old dolts like McCain and Dole who waited in the GOP line long enough to be entitled to a lousy campaign.

Smitty| 3.22.10 @ 1:12AM

You're not a troll; a lot of what you say is true.

We have to stay true to our Conservative principles or we're screwed.

Suspicious Reader| 3.22.10 @ 1:43AM

Smitty: It is March 22, 2010. Congress has just enacted Obama's health care takeover. Republicans united and, because of that unity, came close to defeating it. Without that spirited, unified and principled opposition the takeover would have happened last year. If the Democrats had enacted it easily over a divided and backbiting opposition, an opposition that never got its message out, could anyone even dream of repeal? Do you, Smitty, really believe that right now is the time to be attacking and insulting Bob Dole? Do you believe that if Republicans had spent more of 2009 attacking Bush and Dole and less defending against the Democrats' health care plan the county would be better off? This guy does.

Smitty| 3.22.10 @ 2:16AM

Where did I mention Bob Dole, moron?

Pull your head out of your backside--no wonder you can't see.

Suspicious Reader| 3.22.10 @ 3:03AM

Smitty: Moron? You've really entered into the spirit of this comment thread.
This PhD fella attacked Bob Dole, as part of his troll-like rant on Republicans being to blame for Obamacare.
You tell him that he's not a troll (despite my opinion and the considered opinion of the Free Republic people) and you say that"a lot of what" Mr. PhD "says is true."
I asked you whether the Bob Dole thing is part of the stuff that you agree with. I didn't bring up Bob Dole, the PhD did. I didn't tell you that you attacked Bob Dole. I noted that your buddy did. You agree with "a lot" of what he says. Do you agree with that part? I think that Bob Dole left public life in the last century, and if we're attacking him now we're not making progress.
As to that last sentence, it's not an argument and it's not a good insult. I think you can do better.

Smitty| 3.22.10 @ 3:21AM

I never said anything about Dole nor did I remark on the other poster's mention of Dole. I said there was a lot of truth to his post, that's all. I also think Bush was a RINO whose policies hurt our party.

And, like you, I am entitled to my opinion and my right of free speech--got it?

Who the hell do you think you are trying to squelch my comments? The comment monitor? Knock it off! I didn't attack your right to your opinion and I expect the same courtesy from you.

As to my last sentence--I meant it and it still stands. Show a little respect and maybe you'll get some back.

Suspicious Reader| 3.22.10 @ 3:33AM

No criticisms of your posts allowed? My right to free speech ends where your right not to be criticized begins? Am I still allowed to criticize the PhD? I am allowed to think that you agree with your friend's attack on Bush, but I'm not allowed to think that you agree with his attack on Dole? You have a lot of rules.
Your last sentence still is not an argument, and still is not a good insult, but it does indicate that I have no interest in your respect.

Smitty| 3.22.10 @ 3:47AM

Are you sure you're not a troll? You seem a bit unhinged and I've never seen you post here before.

If you'd actually read my post you'd see I think Bush is a RINO and that some of his policies hurt our party.

Were you in favor of amnesty, no child left behind with Teddy and so much of Bush's outrageous spending? If you were I guess we have to disagree because I'm a fiscal conservative who believes we should have secure borders.

May be if you spent more time figuring out the value of strong conservative leadership and less time attacking the differing opinions of your fellow republicans you'd do some good.

Talk about rules--you seem to think that only your opinion is valid. Wrong.

Suspicious Reader| 3.22.10 @ 3:57AM

"Attacking the differing opinions of your fellow republicans" is the only thing your friend the PhD can do.
Free speech means you a very free to continue to attack excessive spending in the past under Bush and to ignore the much greater spending in the present under Obama.
When I said you could do better I was very wrong.

Smitty| 3.22.10 @ 4:12AM

Now, you're wrong again: Jackson did not attack any one here, he pointed out that Bush was a RINO who did not govern as a conservative--I agree with him.
Who said I ignored Obama's excessive spending? You did and I resent you putting words in my mouth. Not much of an argument there, my friend.

I'm not a democrat so I don't have a say in Obama's disastrous policies, I'd never vote for the Marxist--but I am a republican and I want better leadership by nominating strong conservatives to lead our party.

Perhaps my comments are above your head and beyond your comprehension; that's okay, maybe a little bit sunk in and you learned something this time.

Hold your leaders accountable; that way, with God's help, we may elect a true conservative next time. Stand strong and fight for conservatism--not the candidate--the principle.

Suspicious Reader| 3.22.10 @ 12:40AM

Mr. Jackson: Do people take you seriously because your last name is PhD? Should we enjoy "concern trolls" more if they are stupid enough to be sincere?

Historical Reader| 3.22.10 @ 12:46AM

Hey. I say we go all the way back to FDR and start the blame game there. That S.O.B. doomed us.
How about that, Mr. Klein?
I mean, give me an ever loving break!
Your beef is with Republicans in general. You don't like the party. And you don't like conservatives, do you?
Dork.

Spicy Joker| 3.22.10 @ 12:54AM

You're right that that SOB George W. Bush is partly to blame. Bush was a milquetoast, as evidenced by his telephone call to Obama on Election Day 2008, congratulating Obama on his "awesome victory." Meanwhile, his new friend Obama bashes Bush every chance he gets, blaming him for the deficit, unemployment, and failed economic policies.

Flagrant Poker| 3.22.10 @ 12:58AM

GW has class. Something you lack. Hey big man, why don't you run for President yourself and show us how it's done?

Patriot| 3.22.10 @ 1:09AM

Just because you have class doesn't mean you have to be weak. Reagan had tons of class--and grit.

GW's problem wasn't because he had class, it was because he was a RINO. What was that amnesty crap about?

The 2008 election was a dirty street fight and Obama is a dirty Chicago street thug--that's why the b@stard won.

Spicy Joker| 3.22.10 @ 1:22AM

LOL @ the idea that George W. Bush had any class. Bush repeatedly stabbed his own supporters in the back. Never forget that Bush tried to appoint liberal Harriet Myers to the Supreme Court.

Flagrant Poker| 3.22.10 @ 1:29AM

That's right. He had class to call and congratulate Obama. You call that a huge issue? How stupid.

Patriot| 3.22.10 @ 1:45AM

Flagrant, Spicy has a point! Bush's treatment of Scooter Libby was unconscionable-- he barely pardoned him even after numerous Cheney requests. Dick Cheney was very upset about the way Scooter Libby was treated and rightly so.

Scooter Libby did nothing wrong and I think George Bush hung him out to dry.

Nothing classy about that!

Flagrant Poker| 3.22.10 @ 1:58AM

Patriot,
You can find lots of things wrong with GW. In this instance, I was referring to his damn phone call to congratulate the next (ugh) President. Big woop.

The point IS~ that insincere folk will want to take the opportunity of this atrocity that the Democrats just foisted upon us to once again, bash Bush.
Oh well. Just another day in the neighborhood. Where's Mr. Rogers when you need him?

Patriot| 3.22.10 @ 2:19AM

I liked President Bush; I just wish he had been a stronger leader. I have no wish to pile on, I just want to make sure we nominate a strong CONSERVATIVE this time.

I hope we learn from our mistakes.

Peter Principle| 3.22.10 @ 12:59AM

The writer is correct in a sense that Bush is to blame -- along with his political mastermind, Karl Rove, the primary author of the GOP's "50%+1" electoral strategy.

In a country in which there are far more hardline conservatives than hardline liberals, it's a fine strategy -- as long as you can keep the base motivated and moderates/independents more or less evenly divided.

But an endless war in Iraq, gross mismanagement of natural disasters, bizarre obsessions with conservative fetish causes (like poor Terri Shiavo) AND obscene pork barrelling, followed by financial collapse and the worst recession since the 1930s are a wonderful way to both demoralize the base and really piss off voters in the middle.

Between the three of them, Rove, DeLay and Cheney (primary architect of the Iraq invasion) managed to kick it all away. And the Dems picked up the pieces.

You may get part of it (the House) back this fall, but 2012 is likely to be a different story, with the Obama on the ballot and his turnout machine back in full overdrive. After that, the demographics just get worse and worse -- and you aren't exactly doing yourselves a lot of favors with non-white voters these days.

So this November is probably your last shot, guys. Better make the most of it.

Liberal Reader's Alias| 3.22.10 @ 1:08AM

Hey el Dopo,
Are you saying we should be catering to the colored folk? That is, anybody who's not white? What next? Mass amnesty for all the illegals here? Add water and poof! Instant citizens?
You better watch your butt this November. We're cleaning house and yours is on the list.

breffnian| 3.22.10 @ 2:04AM

Barry didn't do a great job of turnout in Virginia, NJ or Massachusetts. I think his aura has dimmed a little. His base isn't enough to elect him and he has lost independents. I wouldn't worry about the demographics. Obama voters grow up and become conservatives....it's been happening for years.

wtfci| 3.22.10 @ 8:22AM

It's a long road back to zero.

What he means is Barack Obama's name and present office will be on the ballot in 2012. There was no chance to vote for Barack Obama in the '09 gubernatorial races in VA or NJ.

In '08 Obama's team created the best ground game a presidential general election has ever seen. He brought in new voters, many first time votes, and motivated the procrastination voting bloc - college students.

With his name and office back on the ballot in '12 it will create a difficult challenge to gain seats let alone hold them. It will all be about the economy by then.

Like I said above, the Federal Reserve has plenty of power to control capital formation if it wants to turn the labor market around.

Cris Worth| 3.22.10 @ 1:01AM

W. did not have the best interests of the nation at heart. Remember existing immigration laws were not enforced on 9/11 hijackers prior to the attack and some were here ILLEGALLY. Here was the golden opportunity to fix a problem festering in this country for years. But W. was for amnesty wanted illegal immigrants here and said so. Hence the two election debacles nationalized health care and soon amnesty. Ironically enough border control is constitutionally a federal government responsibility and what a failure. You're right the former President is to blame.

ex-freeper| 3.22.10 @ 1:05AM

I too got kicked off of Freerpepublic years ago, for warning that Bush's domestic liberalism and unpopular and unnecessary Iraq war would sweep the Democrats into power -- and, with them, an era of unprecedented socialism.

At one of the GOP debates in 2008, Ron Paul warned the same thing -- he told Huckabee that if we didn't pull back from the Iraq disaster, the GOP would be decimated at the polls. Huckabee responded something like, this was a price worth paying.

Well, the price was getting Obama as president and massive Democrat majorities in Congress - and socialized medicine.

Don't call it ObamaCare -- Call it BushCare, because Bush's domestic liberalism and costly Wilsonian foreign policy made it possible.

When Reagan left office, Americans wanted more Republican government - and Bush Ist won as a result. When Bush Jr. left office, Americans wanted nothing more to do with Republicans. Obama, and socialized medicine, is our reward.

ex-weeper| 3.22.10 @ 1:12AM

Here come the Blame Bush Vote for Ron Paul trolls!

es-freeper| 3.22.10 @ 1:15AM

I didn't vote for Ron Paul, who's clearly unelectable. I'm just pointing out that he correctly predicted that the GOP would pay at the polls for Bush's policies.

Cris Worth| 3.22.10 @ 1:23AM

Ron Paul needed to be more specific...W.'s failed immigration policy. When amnesty is granted historians will note W. as a co-signer to the demographic death warrant of his own political party.

Patriot| 3.22.10 @ 1:17AM

I don't want another Bush president and I don't want Ron Paul as president.

Look elsewhere, folks--there's plenty of political talent out there!

JmsA| 3.22.10 @ 1:08AM

No doubt George W. Bush did some good things for America. However, the bad ovewhelmingly outweighs the good, and Barrack Obama's presidency and all that comes with it, is at least a significant part of Bush' s legacy.

When GW Bush referred to himself as a "compasionate conservative" in the same vein as his father's own "gentler and kinder nation," deriding Ronald Reagan's conservatism--he cast a an implied pall of inhumanity and mercilessness on all republicans, further exacerbated by his profligacy at the expense of the hard working american taxpayers.

Does anyone find it not only troubling, if not tragic, that in most instances socialism has been been imposed on its victims all over the world by hook or crook, if not at the point of the gun--yet a significant portion of the american electorate, actually voted for it?

DemsAreThieves| 3.22.10 @ 1:16AM

Come on, do you really believe that the past election was not rigged by the Democrats? Obama wouldn't have won if was an honest election.

Missy| 3.22.10 @ 1:20AM

I believe ALL of the posts on this thread have a degree of truth to them: I will keep an open mind and listen to others because I do not want to repeat our past mistakes.

Our country's future is at stake.

Spicy Joker| 3.22.10 @ 1:25AM

I'm so sick and tired of conservatives claiming DemocRATS rigged the election. If they rig elections, they certainly could've done so in Massachusetts. Obama won in 2008 because of a huge backlash against BUSH.

DemsAreThieves| 3.22.10 @ 1:33AM

That's a blatant lie and you know it. The Democrats have been rigging elections (dead people and dogs voting) for decades.
Get a life!

Cris Worth| 3.22.10 @ 1:54AM

You have a point and the 1960 Presidential election is the prime example. Evidence of vote fraud was wide spread shortly after the election but Nixon decided not to contest it. If he had done so Illinois and Texas electoral votes would have gone to Richard Milhous Nixon electing him as our 35th President. Other states were at fault too and today there is evidence he also won the popular vote.

Missy| 3.22.10 @ 2:24AM

I told you all of the posts on this thread have a degree of truth to them.

We're just upset tonight (no wonder!) we'll get our act together--we'd better!

Conservative Reader| 3.22.10 @ 1:26AM

You people have got to be kidding me. The scumbag Democrats just passed this monstrosity and you are all falling for the trap of making GW the issue. Way to go. Way to take your eyes off the ball and focus on the wrong party!
The exact goal of this author!
Bash the Republican Party. Yeah, that's the ticket. So less of you will vote Republican. When the goal ought to be BASHING THE FREAKING DEMOCRATS!
WAKE UP PEOPLE!

Suspicious Reader| 3.22.10 @ 1:30AM

It looks like Mr. Klein got exactly the comment thread he wanted to get.

Patriot| 3.22.10 @ 2:32AM

We're not going to be able to smash the scumbag democrats until we DEMAND strong, principled, Conservative leadership. Part of this mess is our fault, how can we fix it if we don't acknowledge it?

We were in power for 8 long years; for some of those years we were the majority in the House and Senate with a Republican president--why did it go so wrong?

I think it's foolish to blame everything on the demonrats. I won't give them that much credit.

Conservative Reader| 3.22.10 @ 2:35AM

Then fight back now:
https://www.icontribute.us/ericcantor/initiative/HCE

Larry| 3.22.10 @ 1:27AM

Ah yes, blame Bush. Philip, you are right, I know. But you know who else is to blame? Us. By implicitly accepting back-room deals and not punishing our Congressmen accordingly. By asking for special deals for ourselves. By increasingly and pliably going along with the long run trends towards a social welfare state in this country for the last 45 years since Medicare was passed. By allowing our votes to be bought.

We have met the enemy, and he is us. So don't just blame Bush. We must blame ourselves for not trying to be more self-reliant, and for accepting the way politics in this country has been done the past 77 years since FDR.

This is a culmination, but it is also only the beginning, if people don't now stand up and realize where this thing is going and cast their Democratic (and maybe even a few Republican) congressmen out in November. Over 40% of the people in this country pay no income tax now (even though the government uses their tax withholding money as a float for the various nonsense that goes on; but they, unlike the rest of us who do pay taxes, get it all back). The people who make over $75,000 per year pay about 80% of the individual income taxes in this country. The corporate income tax rate is the second highest in the world, and will probably increase again soon. This is not an environment for prosperity or for the creation of wealth. People need to know there are consequences, and to stop thinking about just the moment or about the sound bite. The future of this country is at stake.

Cris Worth| 3.22.10 @ 1:41AM

Tonight's Congressional vote has deflated the tea partiers whose central theme was to block health care nationalization. They better regroup quickly for the amnesty fight to come. American citizens beat back W.'s amnesty push in 2006 but the fight will be more difficult this time.

Ray| 3.22.10 @ 1:58AM

We will be bankrupt by the end of the year, so actually this bill will never matter, cause what will come will drown and overshadow it for the rest of the century. This event will be forgotten cause of this upcoming disaster.

Missy| 3.22.10 @ 2:25AM

You're right, too. I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this point.

Conservative Reader| 3.22.10 @ 2:32AM

The answer is to fight back:
https://www.icontribute.us/ericcantor/initiative/HCE

Patriot| 3.22.10 @ 2:34AM

Fight back by demanding strong Conservative leadership. We run another RINO and we're done.

ReasonedMind| 3.22.10 @ 2:46AM

Here's a little history lesson for you misinformed troglodytes: The biggest terrorist attack in U.S. history happened under the watch of George W. Bush. The biggest economic collapse since the great depression happened under the watch of George W. Bush. The crash that led to the great depression happened under the watch of Herbert Hoover, a conservative, "free-market" embracing administration). The economic recovery from the great depression happened under Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration. Most of you probably think FDR was a communist and the most evil president ever, but his "socialist" policies you so despise pulled the nation out of the depression and ushered in a period of rapid, unprecedented growth that would last until the 1980's (when your hero Ronald Raygun took over).

The reason Democrats have the majority? The republican party never offers actual solutions, just rhetoric. Socialist this, nazi that, etc. Do you really think people are taking you seriously? How about some actual ideas based in reality that don't involve blowing up another country or cutting taxes for the mega-wealthy?

Patriot| 3.22.10 @ 3:37AM

Here's a little reality for you, braindead liberal: America was attacked by Islamic terrorists FOUR times on Billy Boy 'the pervert' Clinton's watch and the meathead was so busy screwing fat tarts he didn't have the time or the care to connect the dots.

If he'd done his job those 8 long years, instead of horn dogging around on his wife, Bin Laden would have been in prison and 3000 Americans wouldn't have been incinerated on 9/11.

9/11 was William Jefferson Clinton's fault.
Stick that in your crackpipe and smoke it.

JimH| 3.22.10 @ 8:39AM

Hoover was a Progressive. You should check some of Coolidges remarks about him. It was WWII. Not Roosevelts economic policies which ended the depression. Most of what he did xtended it and made it worse.

john| 3.22.10 @ 2:57AM

I see that ReasonedMind has no mind of her/his own. Herbert Hoover tried protectionism. Never works. Until FDR foisted his New Deal on the country unemployment was under 10%. Time and again, it has been shown that Keynesian economics simply do not work. And the Osama Bin Laden tragedy of 9/11? Give me a break. If Obama can continue to blame W into his second year of office, how in the hell can you seriously not pin the blame on 8 years of mamby pamby ACLU led 'attacks' on OBL?
I maintain, that until a person reads a book they are a Democrat. After that, they understand how incredibly wrong the Democrats are on every issue. Just because it's sweet doesnt' mean it's good for you.

The Gimlet Eye| 3.22.10 @ 3:05AM

Indeed, the presidency of GWB is one of the strangest on record. But then, ALL the recent presidencies have been some of the strangest on record. It's like THE INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. Somebody has gotten to them, regardless of political party, and is controlling them from behind the scenes. It has to be the power elite, or money power which is doing this. There can be no one else. Come on, let's not be naive. The super rich are the real power behind the throne. People like the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds, etc. control these politicians like puppets. It's obvious. It doesn't matter who the president is. It's all show biz, theatre, and Vaudeville, meant to distract us from what is really going on. Republican government and the two-party system are dead. We won't get them back until we wake up and look behind the curtain where the wizards are pulling the strings.

http://the-gimlet-eye.livejournal.com/

dae| 3.22.10 @ 12:32PM

Silly, silly, silly. Don't you know it's the aliens who landed at Area 51 that control the government and have ever since 1947. I know, because I was born in 1947. So there!

The Gimlet Eye| 4.9.10 @ 1:45PM

I don't think David Rockefeller or Lord Rothschild would appreciate your sense of humor. However, if there be a way to make money off the little green men, they will find it! After what they have done to you and me, the aliens should be a piece of cake!

Pete| 3.22.10 @ 3:07AM

You don't think having a pi$$ poor republican candidate in 08 had anything to do with this disaster

Jeremiah| 3.22.10 @ 3:28AM

Yes, McCain was a rather poor candidate, but the newbie Marxist Obama with no experience, suspicious history with various domestic terrorists, communists and America haters was much worse.

Obowmao is in way over his head!
I just hope we survive his next 2 1/2 years--the jury is out on that one. Unfortunately for us!

dae| 3.22.10 @ 12:34PM

Arise, you prisoners of starvation!
Arise, you wretched of the earth!
For justice thunders condemnation:
A better world's in birth!
No more tradition's chains shall bind us,
Arise you slaves, no more in thrall!
The earth shall rise on new foundations:
We have been nought, we shall be all!
'Tis the final conflict,
Let each stand in his place.
The international soviet
Shall be the human race
'Tis the final conflict,
Let each stand in his place.
The international working class
Shall be the human race

Nobama| 3.22.10 @ 1:17PM

Yes, we all know how much Stalin, Lenin, Mao and Pol Pot did (to) for the wretched of the earth: Caring Communists, they were responsible for the mass slaughter of hundreds of millions of human beings.

That's what vicious, godless Communists do for THE PEOPLE!! They torture and kill them!
So, by all means, let's be just like them!

Loathsome monsters.
DEMOCRAT=LIBERAL=SOCIALIST=COMMIE

dae| 3.23.10 @ 2:36AM

Just wanted to see your pavlovian response.

ZerObama| 3.24.10 @ 2:42AM

Your response is your admittance that you Communists are vicious killers who must be destroyed before you destroy us. Right, libtard?

Sam| 3.22.10 @ 3:47AM

I do not ever again want to see the family name of Bush on a Presidential ticket. They are either the most fiscally incompetent or as alleged also bent on the destruction of America. Forget your chances Jeb, big brother has ruined your chances, at least with me.

Jimbo| 3.22.10 @ 3:51AM

Me, too. Sorry Jeb; but PLEASE stay in Texas or Florida or wherever the hell you live now!

We've suffered enough.

JimH| 3.22.10 @ 8:41AM

I never thought I'd say this, 'It is possible to have to much Bush'

Nobama| 3.22.10 @ 11:56AM

Grow up, delinquent.

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Ken Old (Texican)| 3.22.10 @ 7:19AM

Mr. Klein,
I'll tell you one thing. You sure brought out the trolls and whiners.

One thought: Prior to 9-11, it was very difficult for most people to see the real threat of jihad. By the same token, prior to November 08, it was very difficult for most people to see the threat Obama and crew represented.
Well, we have had our asses handed to us....in this "first half" of the football game.

We the People are now awake.

We do have to look at our failures honestly, but now we gotta' stop finger pointing and play some smash mouth.

I wrote here almost a year ago that I expected it "must get really bad before it can get really better."
Well here we are....and push-back is going to be a bitch for the communists, (pardon the shorthand).

Deedee| 3.22.10 @ 8:35AM

The only people to blame for this debacle are the ones who voted for Obama and the other Dems. Without the majority in Congress it wouldn't matter what happened in the past. And that goes for all those so-called sanctimonious Conservatives who sat home and didn't vote. I know of two personally and they contributed to this too.

Juliet| 3.22.10 @ 12:37PM

Debbie, you forgot all the people who don't hold the RNC accountable for pushing RINOs as our candidates--they're at fault, too.

The past does matter; we'd better change our behavior and get serious about Conservatism or we are done. Democrat-lite just doesn't cut it.

Juliet| 3.22.10 @ 12:38PM

Sorry--I meant Dee Dee.

Ken (Old Texican)| 3.22.10 @ 9:08AM

AMEN Deedee.

I guess we Americans had to have our noses rubbed in it before we could smell the stench.

maverick muse| 3.22.10 @ 9:12AM

Bravo, Philip Klein. No one ever wants to admit their part leading into the present misery, as if any moment in time is isolated from context.

The Bush administration's Republican majority were a sorry image of bipartisan RINOs, not only seen by their lack of conservative accomplishments, but in their wildly progressive squandering of efforts, memorably seen in McCain's legislative efforts to the end, passing unconstitutional limits on free speech, promoting illegal entry with open borders, in committees defeating the efforts of the NEW conservative Republicans elected to actually enforce their "Contract With America".

The neoconservative "W" played his progressive role, running as the bipartisan who worked under Bob Bullock's state legislature in Texas, using his presidency to augment federal government with new and bigger unconstitutional bureaucracies than any former socialist ever managed, as if the politicians running government bureaus are not corrupt and corruptible, all the more convenient.

And the mangling of protocol by Newt Gingrich is nothing to ignore, establishing constitutional corruption as the House Rules norm with more Deem And Pass than ever, for convenience sake. Newt himself sabotaged the Contract With America that had just been a sales' pitch for votes, Newt's own Egyptian Sale setting the stage for Obama to fashion this last campaign on lies promised with no intention of keeping.

Constitutional Conservatives are the only votes that will provide sustenance to our Constitution against the eroding progressive tide of neoconservatives running the Republican Party. They miraculously held together this vote, conveniently not providing any necessary votes for the legislative passage of Federal Socialism. The truth is in the pudding; watch to see if strong conservatives like Congressman John Carter (R-TX) lead, or if neoconservatives like Senator Cornyn botch the election works, prolonging the further progressive leadership of McCain, dissolving the Constitution while wearing the flag-pin.

maverick muse| 3.22.10 @ 9:27AM

"One thought: Prior to 9-11, it was very difficult for most people to see the real threat of jihad."

The violent overthrow of the Shah of Iran made jihad look real. The first jihad (unsuccessful destruction) attack bombing the World Trade Center made the real threat of jihad in America obvious. So did the horrible mutilation of our fallen Marines in Somalia, as Clinton told them to do something and then failed to provide the necessities, creating his own Bay of Pigs.

Clinton's horrible mutilation of Americans, burning them all without a trial at Mount Carmel, TX outside of Waco, proved the malice of federal powers, MORE AWFUL in effect than the jihadist bombing of the World Trade Center. THAT was enough to turn many a Democrat to a different political party.

And the news coverage, propagandizing the victims as subhuman, ceremoniously washed Clinton's administration's hands.

Our problem boils down to the corruption of those providing "news". The demise of America is sold and projected in the news by the news for the news' power over society.

Dan Collins| 3.22.10 @ 10:17AM

84% of Americans satisfied with their health care, and Bush should have reformed the system pre-emptively? You are a sorry thing if you believe that that would in any way have prevented these mafiosi from grabbing health care as a means of social control.

ZerObama| 3.22.10 @ 12:43PM

Who said the passage of ObamaCare is Bush's fault?

Obama's 2008 election victory was in some measure Bush's fault. You need glasses.

Mark MacInnis| 3.22.10 @ 10:31AM

All I believe Mr. Klein is trying to say is that we need to realize that the Dems wouldn't have gotten this through if the Right had tended to our knittin' from 2000-2008. Obama/Pelosi/Reid shouldn't have been able to get NEAR the levers of power, and to an extent, that they did is attributable to failures on the Right. Since responsibility accrues to the top, some of said responsibility belongs with Dubya. Anyone unable to agree with this statement needs to self-examine. Seriously. Dudes. C'mon....

maverick muse| 3.22.10 @ 2:24PM

"Dems wouldn't have gotten this through if the Right had tended to our knittin' from 2000-2008."

That's right.

We just witnessed the second time in a decade that Republican conservative bills were sabotaged in Congress, not given any official recognition. ALL of the brilliant conservative bills brought to the House and Senate with the newly elected Republicans at Bush's inauguration COULD have passed given Republican support from Republican leadership at the time. Our Washingtonian Republican leaders sabotaged The Contract With America, and continue to sabotage strong conservative new candidates seeking election with their snooty Washington Club preference for progressive socialist "neoconservatives". It takes a damned socialist to violate language with revisionist definitions. The only thing that neoconservatives want to preserve is the feudal order as elitist party aristocrats enabling their socialist aggression against the Constitution from within the usurped Republican Party.

Bush was satisfied to wag fingers at financial corruption, issuing lip service warnings about Fanny/Freddy implosion while allowing the Democrats to augment the financial destruction which Bush responded to by Executive Order making the Treasury Secretary the nation's AUTONOMOUS financial CZAR, beholden to no government official, branch, or the American Citizenry, the czarist treasurer completely facilitated to work havoc in concert with Goldman Sachs for insider profits.

W.Bush's initial Republican majority should have legislated measures to lower health care costs via deletions of corruption, AT LEAST, as the loop holes in Medicare/Medicaid fraud STILL exist providing more fraud profits than any other white collar organized crime in America. The Republican majority could have legislated limits on law suits, particularly limits on outrageous attorney fees, and limits on winnings, though how is $250K enough for a gross malpractice wrongful death of the family income provider? --In context of pay-off amounts, Bush "gifted" already insured wealthy Twin Tower Wall Street victims of 9/11 with MILLION$, and there was no reason for taxpayers too provide the money amounting to bribes for silence.-- The Bush Republican majority could have legislated the de-regulation for interstate health care policies, AT LEAST for affordable catastrophic health insurance policies to be available nationwide.

Coulda, shoulda, woulda if they cared to.

Now Republicans still have McCain in office creating unconstitutional legislation (campaign finance reform struck down for denying free speech) and working diligently to PROCESS amnesty for illegal aliens, and to deny American citizens with the right to shop over the counter nutritional supplements. Definitely house cleaning is in order this election.

If there's corruption in the Republican Party, cleanse it this election so that opportunistic progressive neoconservatives don't ruin the next and perhaps last chance to effectively and abruptly halt socialist legislation and rescind corruption.

martin j smith| 3.22.10 @ 10:32AM

I see things just a little differently. Bush and his administration along with other Rinos--yes I believe Bush was a Rino--did do a lot of damage by acting as amoral as their democrat counterparts in regards fiscal responsibility. Bush als0 failed the American people by not standing up for his own polcies. I think he was a coward and honestly, while I know that there are folks who see good things in Bush ( anything better than BHO ) Bush's failure to communicate and stand up for himself and his supporters was shameful. He allowed himself to be the world' s scapegoat. Never again should we have such a president. Also John MacC for very similar reasons.

Having said that, it is the Democrat Party alone that now has responsibility. Enough with GWB. The focus should on BHO, Democrat congress et al. Thats it.

McGehee| 3.22.10 @ 10:37AM

I hope Phil Klein will excuse me if I don't join the circular firing squad.

With ObamaCare about to be signed into law, I don't need any bullet holes from friendly fire.

Janice| 3.22.10 @ 12:45PM

If we don't learn from OUR mistakes, friendly fire will be the least of our worries.

Frances| 3.22.10 @ 10:43AM

It's not Bush's fault, it's all those gullable sheep that listened to what the MSM was saying about Bush. This is just another stupid "Blame Bush" crap. It's those people that got swept up in all the "I want to be part of history voting for a black man". This is what happens when you are racist and vote for someone based on the color of his skin. Republicans and Independents that voted for Obama are to blame, not Bush.

Johnno| 3.24.10 @ 2:44AM

Bush was weak and didn't defend Conservative principles and the liberals destroyed him.

Bush bears some blame, too--or you're just a fool.

e buzz| 3.22.10 @ 10:43AM

I heard a lot about how Bush screwed up the economy. Well, if the spending he did did that, then is, to our liberal nutbags, Barry doing the same?

Of course not, so Bush was doing what you wanted.

You lefties are twisted, so so twisted.

DaveyNC| 3.22.10 @ 10:51AM

I blame Tom Delay: http://addednoise.blogspot.com.....delay.html

ZerObama| 3.22.10 @ 12:47PM

Why blame Tom Delay? Because you're a freakin' troll that's why. Moron.

DaveyNC| 3.22.10 @ 1:47PM

I blame Tom Delay because it was his K Street Strategy that led to the BS that brought down the Republican party, not what Bush did, contrary to what Mr. Klein writes.

If the housing crash was due to actions taken by Clinton, and it was, then we have to look back further than just the last president to see the roots of this debacle. Delay's efforts laid the foundation that led to the discontent with the Republicans that both libs and conservatives share.

Douchebag.

ZerObama| 3.22.10 @ 5:46PM

Oh, baloney. Democrats are drowning in corruption and scandal and it hasn't stopped them from winning elections.
You've given absolutely no proof for your ridiculous claim.
It's stupid to blame Delay for our downfall and give weak Republican leadership a pass. Bush became an object of ridicule because he didn't fight back against the smears from the Left. I'm still pissed at him for it. He let us down.

Moron.

DaveyNC| 3.22.10 @ 10:22PM

ZerO, I don't know how I can prove my opinion to you. You can click through on the link I posted and maybe learn a little more before you dismiss. But it's my opinion and no, I don't how to find data to support an opinion. I got to thinking about cause and effect and went back to the beginning. Sort of like this, "Why are we here? Reps lost. Why did they lose? Lost credibility, especially on fiscal and integrity issues. What ruined those things? Well, it wasn't Bush. In fact, it began before he was in office. Who started it? Well, I remembered the K Street Strategy and its effects. What were those effects? It gave the Reps a feeling of invulnerability and caused them to forget why they were sent there. Who made that happen? Tom Delay." And Newt didn't rein it in. So there's your weak leadership, because he saw what was happening, according to the article I found, and didn't put a stop to it.

Short-sighted, myopic douchebag.

ZerObama| 3.23.10 @ 12:53AM

DaveyNitwit,
Only a blind assed moron would hold the Speaker more responsible than the President. But that seems to be your opinion--and only yours on this thread, Bozo.

You can put your GWB knee-pads away now--I'm sure you've worn them out.

GWB butt licker.

SteveP| 3.22.10 @ 11:15AM

I knew the Blame Bush game would join this conversation sooner or later...

How unfortunate and misguided you are here Phillip. To blame Bush is to blame every president and congress since FDR. The ultra left/progressives, whatever label you want to affix to them, have been after Socialized Health Care (for starters) for over 60 years. Is this not where the blame lies?

Or does it rest with us? America finally surrendered to these Marxists and Socialists on Nov 4 2008. So, the question is...has this awakened the "Sleeping Giant" that is truly is mainstream America? Or, will we forget come November of this year and accept the beginnings of complete and utter control of our very existence.

Dean from Ohio| 3.22.10 @ 11:15AM

Let's not forget the male-on-male sexual advances and harassment of young male staffers by Republican representative Mark Foley, who more than any other single person delivered the Congress to the Democrats in 2006. Thank you Mark for your contribution to this continuing disaster.

The go-along, spendthrift, earmarking, business as usual, ignore the Constitution corruption of the Republican leaders then over Mark Foley run a close second.

Janice| 3.22.10 @ 12:54PM

Yeah, sure, while you're enjoying a 'Massa-ge' from your 'male on male' tickle buddy, Eric Massa. Hypocrite.
The endless numbers of democrat corruption is staggering: From the tax cheat thieves like Charlie Rangel to the special mortgage rate deals of Chris Dodd, the democrat party is a sewage filled cesspool of gigantic proportions.

You democrats treat the Constitution like toilet paper; what a joke to pretend about you care about it, moron.

akw| 3.22.10 @ 11:16AM

"The answer, of course, is that none of this would have been possible without George W. Bush -- or more broadly speaking, Bush era Republicanism"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ENOUGH. I am sick of the Bush bashing. It's bad enough when it comes from the Democrats, but it's getting to be despicable when it comes from conservatives. MOVE ON. The man wasn't perfect, but it's absurd to blame him for everything you don't like today.

Bush was ONE MAN. He had a congress full of Republicans who were drunk on their own power and Democrats who were determined to destroy him.

I'm sick of Republicans eating their own and giving the Democrats more ammunition! Grow up!

Tyler| 3.22.10 @ 1:01PM

You grow up, dumbass! It's braindead republicans like you who keep electing RINOs which ensures our defeat.
Hold our leaders accountable--make them tow the CONSERVATIVE line.

RINOs are democrat-lite--that's why they lose; that's why McCain lost.

akw| 3.22.10 @ 2:10PM

Guess what, friend - presidents have to govern from the CENTER. It doesn't matter whether they're liberal, moderate or conservative, they have to govern from the center. Oh, and if you can't discuss something without calling me ugly names, it IS you that needs to grow up.

Tyler| 3.22.10 @ 5:21PM

"Presidents have to govern from the center." REALLY? You mean like Obama's doing right now? Can you even see the stupidity of your statement?
YOU are the reason we lost, because you are weak. No wonder democrats kick our rear ends--with RINOs like you in our party.

And you think you should give us advice--what a laugher!

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you're a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." Mark Twain

JB| 3.22.10 @ 11:18AM

Finally, someone makes the point this article purports to make. The "it's Bush's fault" was used flippantly and abundantly during the 08 campaign, but I believe Klien is right. George W. Bush, his party's leader, was not anything close to a fiscal conservative, nor did the Republicans who controlled the spending reigns for so many years act as such. My Republicans went on a spending spree and effectively aligned themselves with tax and spend liberals, albeit for interests on their own side of the aisle. Had things turned out differently, 2006 might have never happened, and had we run a fiscal conservative candidate - not John McCain - we would certainly be talking about something else. Ther are a lot of factors that led to Obamacare surviving yesterday, and GW Bush is one of them. The market has a funny way of correcting itself, doesn't it.

Cambot| 3.22.10 @ 11:27AM

Res ipsa loquitur: you nailed it exactly. However, judging from some of the comments contained herein, there are still a lot of 'conservatives' who can't seem to grasp the concept that Bush was a bad president, the fact that Obama is an infinitely worse one notwithstanding.

Vinny| 3.22.10 @ 11:40AM

You can't argue with stupid Libs, they drink Kool Aid and dream in LALA Land. The fight to repeal has just begun and while I'm at it Stupak you sell out liberal lying traitor hanging your head like wuss either your proud of what you brought on this country and if that picture is really you WHO KNOWS WHAT THE HELL YOU STAND FOR, you are a traitor.

Cpm| 3.22.10 @ 11:42AM

So all those conservatives that sat at home and didn't vote can blame Bush for Obama being elected and the large Dem majority. Last I counted, not a single Republican voted for this bill. Right, don't look in the mirror, blame Bush.

Janice| 3.22.10 @ 1:03PM

Blame yourself for supporting RINOs, fool.

Cpm| 3.22.10 @ 4:44PM

Blame yourself for electing a democrat majority and Barack Obama, fool.

Janice| 3.22.10 @ 5:39PM

You elected the Marxists in office because you are weak, stand for NOTHING and don't hold your own leaders accountable.

We ran a RINO like you in 2008--how'd it work out for you, moron?

filippo| 3.22.10 @ 11:44AM

I can agree more with the article, but you can forget 9/11 the .com bubble and all the rest ! is not that Bush did not have other big problems to tackle... Just blaming Bush and forgetting all the circumtances is not fair to him...

Grizzled| 3.22.10 @ 11:51AM

I think we are overlooking the reason Bush was perceived so badly, and Obama is perceived so well: the Press.
The real failure over the last 10 years has been the mainstream media, who tore Bush down, before building Obama up, there by betraying their role as "watchdog".

Jeannie| 3.22.10 @ 1:04PM

The LameStream Media are corrupt traitors, but you've go to admit, Bush didn't help himself. Geez.

jeckelmyhyde| 3.22.10 @ 11:55AM

I am guessing that this bill should be called The Preplanned Man Made Disaster Program, since we have to start paying for this clustertruck four years in advance. Bye the way Obama couldn't carry Bush's jockstrap, and history will show it, reguardless of the fact that the liberals are always trying to rewrite history to fit their agenda. Obama has made history because "Jimmy Carter Is Officially No Longer The Worst President In History"

McGehee| 3.22.10 @ 11:57AM

Anyone who hadn't come to terms with the fact Bush was at best a flawed example of a "conservative" the first time he felt compelled to qualify his "conservatism" as "compassionate," deserved to be disappointed comatose long before 9/11 -- let alone after.

To be rehashing it more than a year after the man has left office, whilst we are ducking political MOABs like ObamaCare and Obamnesty, seems a bit out of place. You don't do after-battle assessments until AFTER THE BATTLE.

Janice| 3.22.10 @ 1:08PM

What person in his right mind thinks it's destructive to examine WHY things have gone wrong?
How else can you make sure you don't repeat your mistakes? It's immature to blame your problems on everyone else.

I don't get you people. No wonder libs clean our clocks--so many of us are clueless!

Cal Mark| 3.22.10 @ 12:07PM

You are so right.

Let's take it one step farther.

Bush played kissy-face with liberals who said vile things about him and tried to destroy him. Bush also sneered openly and repeatedly at the conservative movement.

"W" wanted to be known as the "Education President." Now he'll be known as the progenitor of Barack Obama. So much for standing back and letting your enemies slander you and letting "History be the judge."

Grizzled| 3.22.10 @ 12:27PM

So much for standing back and letting your enemies slander you and letting "History be the judge."
Bingo!
Time to convert mistakes into "lessons learned".
Thank God for the New Media.

bloubber| 3.22.10 @ 12:30PM

Folks please listen up:

This war has to be re-declared against the intellectual class of this country. This minority has decided for the rest of us what's best for us. Totally unrepentant.

We need to take to the streets in SF and DC, and really stir things up.

Janice| 3.22.10 @ 5:36PM

They're not intellectuals, they're elites; intellectuals are at least intelligent.

dougx| 3.22.10 @ 12:56PM

We can blame it on Bush only in so far as he wasted a great deal of his time on Iraq. All you Iraq War lovers, are you happy now? You sacrificed your own Country for another country that had no strategic significance to the US, and which had heretofore been a bullwark against Ayatollahism.

Now, having said that. Bush never had more than a 51-49 Senate, and it was 50-50 for a while. Hard to get anything done in that situation as we know. However, even when Bush did offer sweeping change as in Social Security and his Health reforms, his efforts seemed lackluster and no one really cared. The Big Show was always in Iraq, the greatest boondoggle in American history, and certainly in the history of the conservative movement in the United States.

Juliet| 3.22.10 @ 1:10PM

It wasn't just Iraq, Bush's leadership skills were poor on domestic matters.

ml| 3.22.10 @ 1:13PM

Don't blame on Bush! George W. Bush is not the President anymore. Blame on Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and the Democratic Congress. We have been hearing for the last 8 years when Bush was the President, they are saying, It's Bush fault! Now, it is Obama's fault!

Tyler| 3.22.10 @ 1:25PM

Only a strong Conservative can beat Obama, especially with all of the ACORN corruption in play threatening to steal the 2012 election.

dan| 3.22.10 @ 1:40PM

watch enough sports, read enough history and you see this writer is correct. the repubs had the congress since reagan except for a few clinton years. they had the white house 20 of the last 28 years, and senator frist, m.d. was in congress long enough, but NO ONE DID A DAMN THING AND BARELY SUITED UP FOR THE GAME of solving a health care insurance delemma. while bush and cheney were acting cute for 8 years, the dems were getting their game plan ready and they won. it was predictable as the writer points out. what a shame. i am embarrased at times to call myself a repub. they blew it bigtime. they will blow it again; watch!!!! morons, all of them

Paul A'Barge| 3.22.10 @ 1:50PM

Spot on, correct, nail on the head.

I blame Karl Rove. And I'm not kidding either.

Lavaux| 3.22.10 @ 2:15PM

I don't blame Bush. I blame the voters, i.e. the American people.

Elections have consequences, and the voters in a Democracy get the government they deserve. The voters deserve Obama, Pelosi and Reid.

Americans want fat entitlements but don't want to pay for them. Hence, the national debt stands at $14,000,000,000,000 and rising by the millions every second, with no end in sight but fiscal meltdown followed by economic Armageddon. Who cares, so long as health care is free?

I found Candidate Obama's conversation with Joe the Plumber most revealing. Most Americans just shrugged and went back to thinking about Hope and Change, and how historic Obama's presidency would be. Now they've got socialized medicine and likely payroll tax hikes of 100% together with a new national value added tax that will be introduced at, say, 5% but will quickly rise to 25% before anyone can say "offshore asset protection".

What happened to my country? Answer: Americans did.

Clint Eastwood| 3.22.10 @ 2:59PM

"Elections have consequences" does not make note of corrupted elections.

"Voters in a Democracy get the government they deserve" is another stuck on stupid statement.

DESERVE has nothing to do with it.

Tyler| 3.22.10 @ 5:24PM

What choice did the people have when the RNC only pushed RINOs! The RNC is to blame for a lot of this mess.
Bush, the RNC and republicans are all responsible.

JASmius| 3.22.10 @ 2:19PM

No, Phil, I'm not going to blame Bush. Nor am I going to blame the late, great GOP congressional majority either. If anybody other than the Obamunists, I blame the tighty-righties whose purity fetish (which particularly gripped AmSpec during the 2006 midterm campaign) is a great deal of what is to blame for the wreckage of American liberty we're poking stunnedly through this morning.

Unquestionably, the Bushies were not domestically conservative in any substantive sense; they were centrists. They made the GOP the party of the middle, where the supposed conventional wisdom always holds that the American people are. But they ALWAYS WERE centrists; Bush ran as a centrist in 2000. We all rallied behind him because we'd gotten skunked by Bill Clinton and Dubya was the GOP's best shot at regaining the White House. Was that a mistake, too, Phil? Or would sanctioning President Gore have "taught the GOP a lesson"?

The right-wing lament about Republican squishiness is nothing new. There's always a tug-o-war in the conservative heart between ideological purity and political reality. And while the Bushkins committed many fiscal sins, the cardinal transgression of tighty-righties is that they forgot the GOP's greatest silver-lining virtue: When they're in power, THE DEMOCRATS AREN'T. Even just taking up space is useful because a GOP majority is the biggest obstacle to a Donk regime that will, inevitably, do what this one did yesterday.

The lesson (pyrrhic though it may be) some conservatives need to learn from this debacle is that fratricide has consequences. You cannot shrug off power to "teach the GOP a lesson" and put it back on again like it was a dinner jacket. Repentance is of little value when there's no longer a recognizable American Republic left to save. To secure a lasting governing majority, strict ideological litmuses are fundamentally impractical. And the effort it will take to repeal the hijacking of American health care leaves no room for friendly fire.

Tyler| 3.22.10 @ 5:33PM

Nice try to fix the blame on Conservatives, Einstein, but do you remember we ran a big RINO in 2008 and we lost? Why should people vote for democrat-lite when they can vote for the real thing?

We've got to clean our own house first before we can beat the democrats.

You and weak weenie RINOs like you are to blame for our defeat; compromise your Conservative principles and you've got nothing, nothing at all.

Arrogant fool, you should repent.

maverick muse| 3.22.10 @ 2:52PM

I stood up for Bush demonized in office, but spoke against the wisdom of preemptive war against Iraq, against his progressive agenda when he was in office. He's retired now and the record should not be white washed just to feel better since Obama's in office now. Given that Bush's corrupt Financial Czar Henry Paulson already sold us out for globalist Goldman Sachs inside trading profits, Bush demonized patriotic MinuteMen as "vigilantes" for volunteering to relay information to Border Security, Bush worked for illegal alien amnesty rather than enforcing the law as his duty demanded, Bush enforced the unguarded open border with NAFTA for international profits while hurting local private enterprise that Bush was so fond of embracing. Tim Geithner is just more of the same saboteur of the Constitutional Governance. Bush established the customized socialist framework for Obama to abuse from the White House. Clinton's administration had already murdered citizens with fascism, burning the victims with any "evidence" without any court trial. We already knew that when challenged by citizens demanding constitutional rights, federal forces get completely out of hand demanding to be authoritarians. The DHS was a huge mistake, augmenting bureaucracy with the highest level of federal socialism to abuse the Constitution. Look at this DHS working to sabotage conservative law abiding citizens and returned veterans as targets for abuse while the Justice Dept. exonerates New Black Panthers with a proven case in Philadelphia voter intimidation, and transgresses every law concerning the appropriate military tribunals for jihadist enemy combatants at GITMO.

It is time to impeach Obama's administration, and if the newly elected Republican majority fails to do that, it's gonna be more of the same progressive socialism that removes authority from the supreme law of the land, our Constitution.

Lavaux| 3.22.10 @ 2:54PM

Maybe I should explain where I'm coming from by introducing you to the Second Progressive Wonder of the World: The Swedish tax system circa 2005.

Sweden offers every entitlement requisite to an erection to resurrection welfare state, which taxes are of course very high. Allow me to walk you through them.

I'll give you a gross household income of $100,000 because according to the expansive progressive heart but minuscule mind, such an income makes you "rich", and everyone should be rich.

For starters, we'll take 36% off the top of your gross household income for "social fees" to pay for health care, pensions and workers' compensation. This will leave you with a income tax base of $64,000, from which we'll take another 40% (say, 30% national and 10% state & local). This leaves you with $38,400 to survive on, but we've just gotten started.

Every time you buy something, we're going to take another 25% in VAT (value-added tax) from you. If it's gas, booze or smokes you're buying, we'll add another two or three levels of excise tax on the VAT so that you'll be paying at least 150% of the before-tax price in tax on top of the before-tax price. All these at-the-register taxes will take a hungry bite out of your purchasing power.

But we're not done there. If you've got real estate, we're going to assess you with annual property tax of 3% of the tax-assessed value, which we'll raise as our demand for revenues requires. We'll also hit you with a net wealth tax of 1.5% on the value of your taxable wealth less debts. So if you've got a house that's worth, say, $300,000 and your equity in it is worth, say, $200,000, you'll owe us $1,500 in addition to your property tax of $3,000 payable annually.

What else can we take from you? Well, there's still your income from capital. Your IRA, for example, isn't subject to income or payroll tax, so we'll take 25% of the annual capital gain from that. It's only fair, and you even won't notice because we'll assess the tax at source. In addition, we'll take 20% to 30% of all your other interest income or capital gains accruing during the tax year, assessed at source. What's wrong, don't you want to contribute to society's needs?

Finally, if your folks die and leave you, say, $100,000, we'll take 45% of that less estate administration costs. But you'll get the rest, subject to net wealth tax, of course.

So there you have it, fellow Americans. By wanting free health care, free pension benefits, social justice for the poor, or in other words a "progressive" society, you also want the tax system of such a society. Enjoy it.

Michael Erwin| 3.22.10 @ 3:05PM

I actually received an email from the President Sunday Evening informing me that as a result of the Health Care Reform passing, we'll all be "living happier" and "Healthier lives". If that is the case then all elected representatives should flock to enroll so they too can take part in the happier and healthier lives we'll all get to enjoy.

Wow, I feel happier and healthier already.
blasttheleft

Troy R.| 3.22.10 @ 6:06PM

The fact of the matter is that Republicans controlled congress from 1994-2006. In that time--and to the present--health care costs outpaced inflation 4:1.

The GOP has had more than enough time to correct the issue, but they demurred--as they enjoyed their government-sponsored health care while more and more Americans found themselves uninsured, underinsured, and pressed into financial insolvency and bankruptcy as a result of medical expenses.

Dial down the hyperbole folks. This health care bill is not the second coming of Chairman Mao. It is simply the Democrats finding themselves momentarily organized enough to act on an issue that the GOP has ignored for years. Lesson learned, perhaps.

Any of N| 3.22.10 @ 8:42PM

Should we blame "Bush-era Republicanism" for the health care fiasco? Seems obviously true to me, and that raises a few followup points:

- AmSpec didn't exactly raise a ruckus during the Bush years over proliferate government spending. Better late than never, I guess, but come on. Why look principled when you can shill for a Republican president?

- Bush was heavily influenced by the government-loving Neocons, and that segment of the party is hardly going anywhere. They'll continue practicing their mischief as they reliably oppose libertarian-minded initiatives.

- Why on earth should anyone ever trust the Republicans again? Removed from power, they sing like fiscal conservatives. Once in power, they dance around like the proverbial drunken sailors, but spending other people's money.

If there's any hope for the future, we must have a full accounting of where things went wrong. Thank you, Philip Klein, for at least inching in that direction.

Wankel| 3.22.10 @ 10:04PM

No more Bushes. Please. Ever!

Chris in Va.| 3.23.10 @ 10:07AM

During his administration, a lot of folks branded constitutional conservative critics of G.W. Bush as "unpatriotic" or worse, complete with smarm, racial epithets, and slurs.

How nice that Republican representatives and professional DC conservatives now tell the truth about W's disastrous damage -- now that there's nothing we can do about it but watch Obamanation march on.

They will lay waste to our liberty, our lives, and our fortunes -- not to mention the sacred honor that the lies of the Bush era tarnished -- possibly beyond repair -- in the GOP.

Prolifers have no party any more. We have been betrayed by the fat cats in the GOP and the powermonger Democrats. Admittedly, Bush ran as a reformer, not a conservative. Too bad so many were sucked in for so long (many of whom got very rich, to be sure).

In AA's rehab program, admitting you’re an alcoholic is just step one of 12. One must then go to the people one has harmed and ask forgiveness, and then make reparation.

Are politicians drunk on power exempt?

Jack| 3.30.10 @ 5:17PM

I agree with the thrust of this column. I am left-leaning independent, and I count on the Reps to be more money smart than the Dems. Where were the market based alternative solutions? The Reps seem to not regard Health care as a priority at all. They have had the White House for 20 of the last 28 years, and never recognition of the problem, much less a unified approach. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but all I heard the Reps say for the last 18 months was too costly, no change.

I would be much happier with a market based solution, but any law is better than the status quo.

Jack

Tailgunner Joe| 4.13.10 @ 5:00PM

LOL @ the comments above. Ah you log cabin republicans are good for a laugh. Keep drinking the M$M kool-aid moderates. Seriously someone on FR posted a link to this place and said it was worth looking if your into conservative studies. What conservative studies??? AS is like DU, a bunch of log cabin republicans who wouldn't know conservatism if went and bit them in the butt! Seriously, why do users on FR go to this place? Oh that's right... TO BECOME A MODERATE. All I can say is, HELL NO.

Ping!

Concerned citizen| 6.4.10 @ 2:58AM

Modern Democrats also apparently believe that the message transcends the method they use to spread the word, meaning they will lie to you in order to further their agenda. A good example of this is their constant mantra that drilling for oil in Alaska wouldn't have any effect on the price of fuel for 7 years, and then would only make a 10 cent difference. Anybody who has an elementary school education and a calculator can do the math and see for themselves that Democrats, for whatever reason, are simply misstating the truth when it comes to drilling our own oil. Their tort reform will only cause florida medical malpractice lawyer fees to go through the roof. What I found most disturbing about the health care legislation was the lack of transparency in the entire process. To this day, most people do not know what is in the bill or how it is going to affect most Americans.

Jessica| 12.20.10 @ 9:11AM

I mostly agree. I am left-leaning independent, and I count on the Reps to be more money smart than the Dems. Where were the market based alternative solutions? The Reps seem to not regard Health care as a priority at all. They have had the White House for 20 of the last 28 years, and never recognition of the problem, much less a unified approach. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but all I heard the Reps say for the last 18 months was too costly, no change.