Hopefully this is not too late a response.

Thanks for helping Frank to dislodge a coherent thought on this subject.

It’s like this. If Bush were a Hindu and he owned a slaughterhouse, I would
ciriticize him for being a hypocrite. I am not a hypocrite for eating meat or owning a slaughterhouse, because I am not a hindu.

If you want to throw the mantle of Christ over yourself, as though that declaration of faith made you a better person, then act accordingly. Others who have not chosen to subscribe to those beliefs, may or may not practice the ‘golden rule’, but they cannot be called hypocrites if they have not grafted themselves to the Theistic ideology. They can hold the beleiver to a higher standard because that individual has placed himself in that position, voluntarily.

and i’ll make this easy on you. i’ll agree our sourcing will not use any explicitly left-leaning sources. i’ll be waiting here, adjusting my tinfoil for the best reception.

Try and do it without attributing false attitudes or unprovable opinions to Christians.

Dugger

jadegold s use of the phrase  Uncle Thomas to describe Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

Don’t forget Jandegold’s ethnic slur “Fat Tony Scalia,” since someone of Italian heritage must be linked to the mafia.

It seems reasonable that what Jadegold states is possible and probable. There are many possibles – what we need is to find out what she stands for how she feels about specific rulings. We have a right to know how an appointee for life will vote on the SC. It would be a shame if the Senate did not politely and respectfuly ask her the tough questions in regards to this job for life.

jadegold’s use of the phrase “Uncle Thomas” to describe Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is every bit as offensive as all of the recent perceived slights that have been railed on around here.

danelectro : I would respond, but that was such a rambling mess of tinfoil hat stuff that I cannot even figure out a starting point.

Reality; Republican budget cuts

Ha! Conservatives (and Libertarians) only wish this were true. Bush has increased federal spending on education by 50% since he’s been in office.

only token increases in Head Start

Head Start does nothing to improve students’ readiness. There have been many, many research studies, and they demonstrate that Head Start is ineffective. I am a middle school teacher and my wife teachers second grade. We would love a program to improve a student’s chances for success in school. Head Start doesn’t work.

he has failed to deliver anything to anyone except the richerst 1% of the population and the radical conservative Christians on the right.

I am in neither category, but I have done very well under the Bush administration. Many other people have as well, which helps explain why he received over 60 million votes. Unless you think there are that many wealthy and/or radicals in America?

“how has be been hypocritical – considering he s  born again which recognizes a past life of sin (as I understand it)?”

Let’s just start with his only claim to fame as Governor of Texas. His big deal has always been education

“Leave No Child Behind” is his signature acheivement.

What is the rhtoric? What demonstrates his conviction? Being ‘Born Again’ and having PAST sins wased away does not give the ticket bearer a free pass to commit transgressions in the future. (See Matthew 25:41-46)

Let’s look at;

RHETORIC;”We’re going to spend more on shools and we’re going to spend it more wisely” GWB 1/18/2002

Reality; Republican budget cuts (Please don’t say he had no control . When he wanted something, he got it. I.E. Prescription Drug Windfall.)
teacher quality by 4% ($90 million) eliminating high quality training for 18,000 teachers.

RHETORIC;” By working together the administration and Congress have succeeded in opening college opportunities for all americans”.8-5-2002

Reality: For the second year in a row the Bush Administration requested inadequate funds for the maximum Pell Grant. Also proposing that interest rates for student loans be increased and denying requests to forgive loans to teachers who take jobs in low-income schools.

Rhetoric on CHILD CARE; “We must make sure that every child enters school ready to learn–EVERY CHILD, NOT JUST ONE, OR A FEW. Anyone who is serious about eucational reform MUST BE SERIOUS ABOUT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION!” GWB 4-2-2002

reality; Bush administration freezes child care and includes only token increases in Head Start even though millions of eligible low-income children cannot be served due to inadequate resources.

You can frame George Bush as a sincere man, out of his element, or as a hypocrite who expects others to carry water while requiring little from himself. It’s your choice which picture you wish to entertain. The fact is he has failed to deliver anything to anyone except the richerst 1% of the population and the radical conservative Christians on the right. He doesn’t seem to feel he needs to fulfill promises to anyone else.

By elevating such a nobody to the SC–she’ll sail through confirmation hearings doing the old Robert’s softshoe. She has no record whatsoever so there’s nothing to pick on.

OTOH, her job on the SC will be to vote with the Roberts/Fat Tony Scalia/Clarence Uncle Thomas bloc. That’s her role–the Xerox vote.

Shrub a moderate?

Moderates do not exist in today’s GOP.

Tell us what is moderate about invading countries on phony premises. Tell us what is moderate about endorsing ID and declaring war on science.

Thanks for not calling me a Bush partisan – I’m not. Its funny reading your post, because as something of a strong conservative, I think Bush is not a rigid thinker at all. He’s too flexible at times in my book. Too naive and trusting of Democrats. He’s spent a lot domestically, put lots of money in AIDs and education programs and appointed/nominated moderate conservative justices. There are times when I dearly wish he would fight back as viciously as he is atatcked – but he never does. Mr Nice Guy. Take it and smile. I’m not saying he is liberal or maybe even overall moderate, but he is a moderate Republican and I can’t understand how one can have balanced view of the political spectrum if you put Bush any other place. And then if he is a moderate R, why do so many of your brethren hate him?

Dugger

One does wonder, however, if they would complaining as loudly if they had reason to believe that Miers was a rock-ribbed reactionary a la Thomas or Scalia.

Dugger, Bush partisans keep trotting out the Kennedy deal as evidence that Bush is a bipartisan moderate. But that was during his first months in office. Since then Bush’s idea of bipartisanship, whether he’s dealing with the dems in congress or the UN, has been “here, I’ll give you an opportunity to agree with me completely.”

I don’t hate Bush, I just think he’s a rigid thinker at a time when we need flexibility. He’s just an undistinguished, unaccomplished run of the mill son of privilege who’s idea of governing is doing favors for his friends. Just his misfortune that he fell into the presidency at a time when we need real leadership on a number of issues.

The second thing is what this means for conservatives. Think of how many social conservatives worked tirelessly in the fall of 2004 so that they could elected a President who promised to appoint another Scalia or Thomas to the Supreme Court. The first nominee is almost assuredly no more conservative than Rehnquist, and very possibly less conservative. And the second nominee may very well be Souter and Michael Brown in a skirt. This was a unique chance for social conservatives to shift the court dramatically to the right. With Bush’s poll numbers down, here was an opportunity to bolster his support in the base. They could all say, “Bush may be running into trouble in Iraq, he didn’t do such a great job with Katrina, and he spends too much. But at least he’s making the Supreme Court more conservative.” Now they can’t say that in good conscience.

Miers doesn’t “please” anybody. She probably gives Democrats a sigh of relief because of how much worse the nominee could have been. But surely no Democrat would have selected her. Still, the disappointment is much greater on the Right because they were the ones who won out in November. This was supposed to be the real prize. And all they got was a lousy crony.

big time.