Bush's Last Resort

[SHRED]

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An excellent Amanda Terkel article.

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Bush's Last Resort
Despite the White House's leap to claim victory on S-CHIP, in reality Bush is playing defense, forced to rely on vetoes and executive orders to swat down the progressive legislation Congress has sent his way.

Amanda Terkel | October 23, 2007 | web only



There was no shortage of chest-thumping last week at the White House. When House conservatives voted to sustain President Bush's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), White House spokeswoman Dana Perino gleefully told reporters, "We won this round on S-CHIP." Earlier in the week, Bush justified denying health insurance to four million children by claiming that vetoes show he is still "relevant." "That's one way to ensure that I'm in the process," he said during a press conference.

The media happily joined this celebration, picking up the White House's talking points. On Friday, The New York Times reported, "For now, the insurance vote stands as the latest example of how Mr. Bush can still get his way on Capitol Hill. Through artful use of veto threats and his veto pen, Mr. Bush has fended off attempts to force a change of course in Iraq," among other policies. Roll Call Executive Editor Mort Kondracke wrote that "there is some truth" to the White House claim that "events are turning" in Bush's favor. The next day, the Associated Press chimed in with a headline proclaiming, "Analysis: Bush still relevant on Hill."

Since when did the veto become an indicator of a president's strength? In reality, Bush is playing defense, forced to rely on vetoes and executive orders. The Democratic-led Congress has backed him into a corner, refusing to take up his policy priorities and instead sending him progressive bills he opposes. Congress passes bills, Bush swats them down.

~SNIP~

As he prepared to leave public life, Karl Rove wrote a piece for the National Review predicting that history "will judge the 43rd president as a man more than worthy of the great office the American people twice entrusted to him." The President of the United States is one of the most powerful people in the country, if not in the world. He should not have to insist to the White House press corps that he is "in the process" on the Hill. Bush's conduct last week was not of a man worthy of this great office, but a man struggling for significance.

FULL ARTICLE:
http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=bushs_last_resort

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[daa]

1. Chimpy presidency = catastrophe for America nt

[rodeodance]

2. for sure-Bush is on the defense.

[DCKit]

3. Proof, once again, that Repukes love fertilized eggs and HATE children. nt