No, we're not pulling out of Iraq. Yet. But if things don't get better for the president over the next few months, I wouldn't be surprised to see the stage being set. This is about him betraying the free-spending, perpetual-deficits-will-never-sink-us faction.

And let's admit it guys, his timing couldn't be more impeccable. Really. This might be the last big political play ol' Karl gets to stir up for the president.

Surely this will knock the indictments out of the news cycle today.

Or the 2000th American casualty in Iraq. Or the full-scale, intra-party revolt going on over the Miers nomination.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2005-10-26T025540Z_01_HO610305_RTRUKOC_0_US-BUSH-REPUBLICANS.xml

Quote :

"Bush tells Republicans he'll get tough on spending WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush, seeking to counter his image among conservatives as a big spender, promised on Tuesday to slash wasteful programs and make sure hurricane recovery aid is allocated wisely. In a speech on the day the U.S. military death toll in Iraq reached 2,000, Bush touted his agenda of making his tax cuts permanent and staying the course in Iraq as he tried to mend rifts in his base and ease concerns about scandals swirling around the White House and Republican congressional leaders. Bush gave no specifics on where he would seek budget cuts, saying Congress had made a "nice start" in trying to rein in costs and added, "there's more we can do." "This economy is strong and we need to make sure we don't foul it up here in Washington D.C. by spending too much of your money," Bush said. The Republican National Committee dinner, for Republican Eagles, or donors who raise at least $15,000 a year, was expected to raise more than $1 million. "Congress needs to get this message: that we will be wise with the taxpayers' money. If a program doesn't work we ought to eliminate it. If a program doesn't make sense we ought to do away with it," he added. House of Representatives and Senate Republicans have been struggling to work out their differences over spending reductions to help pay for $62.3 billion in emergency aid for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. SPENDING BUILDUP Bush has said the government would assume the bulk of the rebuilding costs for the ravaged Gulf Coast. He said at the fundraiser he was confident that could be done while being "wise" with taxpayer dollars. Fiscal conservatives in Bush's party are upset that he has allowed a big buildup in spending to accompany his tax cuts, a combination that has caused budget deficits to soar. Bush's other political woes include the probe into the leaking of a covert CIA operative's identity. That investigation appears to be reaching a crucial point, with speculation rife that senior White House aides may face indictments as soon as Wednesday. Republicans also have been buffeted by the indictment of Rep. Tom DeLay on campaign finance charges, which forced him to temporarily step aside as House Republican leader, and by a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist over a stock sale. In addition to the spending buildup, a number of conservatives are angry over Bush's nomination of White House counsel Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court. Many saw the pick as a lost opportunity for Bush to fulfill a campaign pledge to appoint conservatives in the mold of Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Bush also pushed the troubled Miers nomination, saying his longtime friend would bring the court a "fresh perspective." But the president continued to balk at releasing documents sought by senators over Miers' work as White House counsel. "Asking for those documents is a red line, as far as I'm concerned, in protecting the White House and the ability to operate," he said."

10/26/2005 1:10:34 AM

just like hes gonna get tough on immigration?

now that its term 2 he cana actually do what he wants

10/26/2005 1:28:53 AM

Quote :

"This is about him betraying the free-spending, perpetual-deficits-will-never-sink-us faction."

Most conservatives are in favor of cutting spending. At least the type of spending cuts that Bush is advocating.

Its not like Bush is threatening to cut military spending or farm subsidies...

I can't see how ANY neocons would take issue with this.

10/26/2005 1:53:59 AM

probably because they're pretty much free spenders

10/26/2005 7:07:03 AM

^
Except that most neocons have been bitching about his profligatory excesses just as much as the fiscal conservatives

Silly liberals, always trying to talk about things they don't know...

10/26/2005 8:22:47 AM

Time to cut funding to students, single mothers, grandma's medicare and heating subsidy.

10/26/2005 8:38:56 AM

^ As I understand it, that would eliminate the deficit.

10/26/2005 9:04:08 AM

The treasury has been raided by the rich.

10/26/2005 9:05:38 AM

and since he's cut so much spending, surely another tax cut for the wealthy couldn't hurt

10/26/2005 9:10:14 AM

^ never has before.

10/26/2005 10:22:46 AM

Quote :

"Except that most neocons have been bitching about his profligatory excesses just as much as the fiscal conservatives "

1) Please to answer: Who will not be reelected because of his/her support of the expanded Medicare?
2) stfukthnxbye

10/26/2005 10:49:57 AM

Quote :

"Except that most neocons have been bitching about his profligatory excesses just as much as the fiscal conservatives Silly liberals, always trying to talk about things they don't know..."

So wait...if conservatives and neocons don't support extra spending and liberals don't support any Bush initiative, then who is the reason behind our mounting debt? It sure as hell isn't Goerge W. Bush. Man can't form a proper thought to save his life.

10/26/2005 11:01:17 AM

Quote :

"Fuel: Most conservatives are in favor of cutting spending. At least the type of spending cuts that Bush is advocating."

Logic 101 - Not all conservatives are neoconservatives.

Quote :

"TGD: Except that most neocons have been bitching about his profligatory excesses just as much as the fiscal conservatives"

Who? When?

10/26/2005 3:11:09 PM

Quote :

"Bush tells Republicans he'll get tough on spending"

I'm sure that, just like most every other politician in US history, Bush says a lot of things. That doesn't mean he'll do them, however. Let's face it, this is his last term. Unless he gives a shit about being hated (which apparently he doesn't), Bush can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants. He's not getting elected next year no matter what he does, so he may as well loot and plunder as much as he can while it still benefits him.

[Edited on October 26, 2005 at 3:50 PM. Reason : damn bloody crazy code ]

10/26/2005 3:50:32 PM

Because then his party will have a shot in hell of accomplishing anything in the future...

10/26/2005 3:51:34 PM

Quote :

"This economy is strong and we need to make sure we don't foul it up here in Washington D.C. by spending too much of your money."

Whoops! I think you already have, Mr. President.

Quote :

"Bush touted his agenda of making his tax cuts permanent"

Oh lord, help us! More tax cuts will surely put us in a bigger hole.

10/26/2005 10:38:36 PM

Quote :

"Gamecat: Who? When?"

We can start with everyone over at the Weekly Standard, since teh L3ft likes to cite them whenever they try to talk about neocons...

---

Quote :

"MathFreak: 1) Please to answer: Who will not be reelected because of his/her support of the expanded Medicare? 2) stfukthnxbye"

1) Please to answer: neocons make up how much of the electorate again?
2) stfukkthxbye

10/27/2005 12:26:36 AM

Quote :

"1) Please to answer: neocons make up how much of the electorate again? 2) stfukkthxbye"

1) Please to answer: who will lose the support of the neocons because of their stance on Medicare?
2) stfukkthnxbye

10/27/2005 12:29:20 AM

Quote :

"MathFreak: 1) Please to answer: who will lose the support of the neocons because of their stance on Medicare? 2) stfukkthnxbye"

1) Please to answer: do they even have viable single-issue parties in Russia (much less the USA)?
2) stfukkthxbye

10/27/2005 12:56:42 AM

Quote :

"1) Please to answer: do they even have viable single-issue parties in Russia (much less the USA)?"

1) Translation: I don't know shit. I made something up and have no verifiable way to demonstrate it. In short, I'm a tool.

Yes, they do in Russia. People vote for puppet "parties" that the President's Administration creates two months before the elections. IT doesn't get any more "single issue" than that.

Oh yeah...

2) stfukkthnxbye

10/27/2005 1:02:19 AM

Quote :

"MathFreak: 1) Translation: I don't know shit. I made something up and have no verifiable way to demonstrate it. In short, I'm a tool. Yes, they do in Russia. People vote for puppet "parties" that the President's Administration creates two months before the elections. IT doesn't get any more "single issue" than that."

1) Translation: English clearly isn't my first language. I have no way to declare victory and extricate myself from the debate. So I'll ignore half the question, throw in an ad hominem, and try to move on.

Oh yeah...

2) stfukkthxbye

10/27/2005 7:59:37 AM

Quote :

"TGD: We can start with everyone over at the Weekly Standard, since teh L3ft likes to cite them whenever they try to talk about neocons..."

Ok, so Fred Barnes. And...?

10/27/2005 2:33:53 PM

Quote :

"1) Translation: English clearly isn't my first language. I have no way to declare victory and extricate myself from the debate. So I'll ignore half the question, throw in an ad hominem, and try to move on."

1) TGD: I've become such a fucktard lately, I'll throw a blanket statement that has no support whatsoever and seriously expect others to prove a negative. All questions will be responded with more questions as if I were a motherfucking jew. Oh yeah, in the shithole I'm from, it's called a "debate".

2) stfukkthnxbye

10/27/2005 6:43:27 PM

Gotta admit that's the first time I've been called a "motherfucking jew" to illustrate how I was losing an argument. I'll have to keep that tactic in mind...

10/29/2005 6:48:02 PM

SOCRATES WAS A JEW

10/29/2005 7:29:34 PM

Ehh, people are retarded sometimes.

RE: Bush's budget cuts...

-My girlfriend has been personally hit by the cut in Pell Grant funding. As in she has to work many-hour days because her parents are douschebags and she doesn't get jack for scholarship $$$.
-No Child Left Behind uses money and accomplishes nothing
-All this pro-Abstinence Only nonsense is contributing to a rising STD rate, and wastes money
-I'm too lazy to write anything else

10/30/2005 8:06:30 PM

Quote :

"Stiletto: My girlfriend has been personally hit by the cut in Pell Grant funding. As in she has to work many-hour days because her parents are douschebags and she doesn't get jack for scholarship $$$"

One of these days I'll go premie just so I can embed Timberlake's "Cry Me A River" in threads...

btw the per capita Pell Grant cuts aren't as much as the increases in unsubsidized Stafford Loan limits moving from one grade to the next. So your story that the grant cuts are to blame for her long hours is bullshit...


[Edited on October 30, 2005 at 8:11 PM. Reason : btw]

10/30/2005 8:11:04 PM

Blame the baby boomer generation for this kind of shit. The most narcissistic, free-spending, least-responsible, coke snortin' to viagra abusin' generation ever. Went to college free (basically), gave not one shit about Vietnam until their asses were going to be sent over, then slouched into retirement.

Simple. Easy. Works damn near everytime.

10/30/2005 8:39:38 PM

don't forget they are going to take ALL of the social security money

10/30/2005 8:50:10 PM

^^
"baby boomer generation"? just call them "damned hippies" like the rest of us

10/30/2005 10:11:28 PM

Quote :

"Gotta admit that's the first time I've been called a "motherfucking jew" to illustrate how I was losing an argument. I'll have to keep that tactic in mind.."

Translation: Did I provide a shread of evidence in support of my claim? I guess, not. So am I then in fact shifting the burden of proof to others expecting them to prove the absence of something, a.k.a. "proving a negative"? Yes, I am. What am I supp... Wait a minute, that obviously was sarcasm/joke but since I'm widely regarded as an imbecile anyw.. OMF MATHFREAK IS ANTISEMITIC!

2) stfukkthnxbye

10/30/2005 11:24:38 PM

Jews should give up the little bags of gold they wear around their knecks. And I'm not talking about the decoy gold!

10/31/2005 7:55:05 AM