csua.org/u/9g3 -> salon.com/opinion/feature/2004/09/10/conservatives/index_np1.html
Investor Relations art Why conservatives must not vote for Bush A Reaganite argues that Bush is a dangerous, profligate, moralizing radic al -- and that his reelection would be catastrophic both for the right a nd for America. We usually require rea ders to watch a short ad or join in order to view a complete article, bu t we thought this story was just too important, so we're giving you full access without further ado.
Are they ser ious about their rhetoric on limited, constitutionally restrained govern ment? Bush appears to have remained strong in the presidential race by rallying conservatives behind him. John Kerry's claim to represent "conservative values" and seized the mantle of promoting liberty at home and abroad. Indeed, many conservatives react like the proverbial vampire at the sight of a cross when they consider casting a ballot for Kerry. Tom Nugent, a National Review Online contributing editor, wrote: "The last thing the Republican party needs is the reckless suggestion that conservatives vot e Democratic." That is mild, however, compared with the American Conserv ative Union's mass e-mail solicitation headlined "Why Do Terrorists Want Kerry to Win?" Republican partisans have little choice but to focus on Kerry's perceived vulnerabilities. A few high-octane speeches cannot disguise the catastr ophic failure of the Bush administration in both its domestic and its fo reign policies. Mounting deficits are likely to force eventual tax incre ases, reversing perhaps President Bush's most important economic legacy. The administration's foreign policy is an even greater shambles, with I raq aflame and America increasingly reviled by friend and foe alike. Quite simply, the president, despite his well-choreographed posturing, do es not represent traditional conservatism -- a commitment to individual liberty, limited government, constitutional restraint and fiscal respons ibility. As Chris Va nce, chairman of Washington state's Republican Party, told the Economist : "George Bush's record is not that conservative ... Even Bush's conservative sycophants have trouble finding policies to prai se. In 2000 candidate Bush comp lained that Al Gore would "throw the budget out of balance." But the big -spending Bush administration and GOP Congress have turned a 10-year bud get surplus once estimated at $56 trillion into an estimated $5 trillio n flood of red ink. This year's deficit will run about $445 billion, acc ording to the Office of Management and Budget. Brian Riedl of the Heritage Foundation reports that in 2003 "government s pending exceeded $20,000 per household for the first time since World Wa r II." There are few programs at which the president has not thrown mone y;
Unfortunately, even the official spending numbers understate the problem. The Bush administration is pushing military proposals that may understa te defense costs by $500 billion over the coming decade.
lied about the likely cost of the Medicare drug benefit, which a dded $8 trillion in unfunded liabilities. Moreover, it declined to inclu de in budget proposals any numbers for maintaining the occupation of Ira q or underwriting the war on terrorism. Those funds will come through su pplemental appropriation bills. Never mind that Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz had promised that reconstruction of Iraq could be paid f or with Iraqi resources.
Nothing in his conv ention speech suggested a new willingness by Bush to make tough choices. Indeed, when discussing their domestic agenda, administration officials complained that the media had ignored their proposals, such as $250 mil lion in aid to community colleges for job training. Not mentioned was th at Washington runs a plethora of job training programs, few of which hav e demonstrated lasting benefits. This is the hallmark of a limited-gover nment conservative? Jonah Goldberg, a regular contributor to NRO, one of Bush's strongest bas tions, complains that the president has "asked for a major new commitmen t by the federal government to insert itself into everything from religi ous charities to marriage counseling." Indeed, Bush seems to aspire to b e America's moralizer in chief. He would use the federal government to m icromanage education, combat the scourge of steroid use, push drug testi ng of high school kids, encourage character education, promote marriage, hire mentors for children of prisoners and provide coaches for ex-cons. Conservative pundit Andrew Sullivan worries that Bush "is fusing Big Gove rnment liberalism with religious right moralism.
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