Column:Bush policies not conservative – Daily Lobo – Opinion by Dane Roberts, Daily Lobo columnist
In 2000, I called myself a Republican, supported George W. Bush’s candidacy, and even traveled to Washington to witness his inauguration. Come Election Day 2004, I ardently hope he is not re-elected.
While my dismay with Bush drove me away from the Republican Party, many more voters retain their party affiliation but will not vote for Bush on Nov. 2. Many of us are wondering how any Republican, moderate or otherwise, can muster any enthusiasm for Bush.
The best justification for being a conservative has always been a healthy suspicion of government size and power. By this standard, Bush fails.
The most frightening thing about the Bush administration, and the first thing that sent red flags up for me, is the penchant for excessive secrecy. Bush’s White House was unusually secretive even before Sept. 11. Since then, it has been brazenly hostile to the principle of open government, from stonewalling the Sept. 11 commission to encouraging government agencies to deny requests under the Freedom of Information Act whenever possible.
John Dean, former counsel to Richard Nixon, knows something about secrecy in the White House and calls Bush’s “the most secretive presidency of my lifetime.” The government has become significantly less accountable to the American people as a result of Bush’s term in office.
Furthermore, Bush’s record in expanding the size of government is closer to the biggest of the big-government Democrats than that of any Republican president. …
What happened to the Republican Party of 2000 that called a balanced budget a “moral imperative?” What happened to the Bush of 2001 who said, “We will pay off $2 trillion of debt over the next decade” and “future generations shouldn’t be forced to pay back money that we have borrowed”? …
The truth is, Bush’s campaign is as un-Christian as any. Karl Rove, Bush’s political strategist, is the dirtiest player in American politics. In previous races, he’s tried to undermine his political opponents by starting rumors of homosexuality and insanity.
Many Republicans have caught on to all this and will be voting Kerry this November. Though he’s not a perfect candidate, a Republican-led Congress would oppose his spending proposals in a way they haven’t been able to with Bush. Most importantly, Kerry would save the Republican Party from itself, stopping Bush from leading the party further down the path of his irresponsible policies.