Really Good Short Essay by Geo Will

[Yeager]

bush is no conservative.

[Hap]

Originally posted by Halo
The credit goes to John Diggins' book quoted throughout the piece.

Halo,

I don't know Diggins.  Can you tell me a bit about him.


Yeager, you are correct about President Bush not being a conservative.

I was especially impressed with Will's recourse to Madison.

One cannot "new age" or "secularize," or "CIVILize" (a very awkward neologisim, I know) our founding governmental charters, and wind up with a workable model for governance.

When it is done, as it has been and will likely continue, is governance by "popular opinion" rather than principle.

The checks on liberty/license within the charters exist for obvious reasons.  (Yes a dodge on my part -- I get tired talking to deaf fence posts and blinkered adolescents).

So, kudos to Yeager for knowing what's what, and Halo, please remedy my ignorance on Diggins.

Thanks,

hap

p.s.  I was looking at Real Clearl Politics and I visited John Mc Cain's exploratory website.  I've copied a paragraph from his GOPAC (?) speech in November because I am impresed by what I read in that paragraph.

Nor do I believe Americans rejected our values and governing philosophy. On the contrary, I think they rejected us because they felt we had come to value our incumbency over our principles, and partisanship, from both parties, was no longer a contest of ideas, but an ever cruder and uncivil brawl over the spoils of power.

I am convinced that a majority of Americans still consider themselves conservatives or right of center. They still prefer common sense conservatism to the alternative. They want their government to operate as their families operate, on a realistic budget, with an eye on the future that spurns self-indulgence in the short term for the sake of lasting prosperity, that respects hard work and individual initiative, and that shows no favoritism to one group of Americans over another. Americans had elected us to change government, and they rejected us because they believed government had changed us. We must spend the next two years reacquainting the public and ourselves with the reason we came to office in the first place: to serve a cause greater than our self-interest.[/b]

[Hap]

Still not finished with reading the speech.  But I've read enough that it deserves it's own link.

Some of what he says reflects obligatory Republican jingoism.  However, I am, again, impressed with the section about 1/2 way through where he states frankly their failures.

Truth telling is good for the soul.

http://www.exploremccain.com/explore/GOPACSpeech.htm

Regards,

hap

p.s.  there are parts with which I disagree, but on a first partial cursory read, so stuff I really like too.

[Debonair]

Originally posted by Yeager
bush is no conservative.

boosh

see it werks both ways:O roflcopters:aok

[Halo]

Hap, I don't know anything about the book.  But in reading Will's article, I noticed the whole piece was about the book which was quoted  extensively.

[lazs2]

TR did not pass the amendment..  we were talking about presidents.   he did swing further left (right wing facist by todays standards) toward the end and....

he never made it on his newfound more left leaning ideas.   he was not re elected.    He did not pass the amendment and had nothing to do with it.   He didn't even get a vote.

I would not say he deserved another term.   I am saying that he was one of our best presidents.

lazs