Category: Politics & Government

Total federal spending per household has risen 115% since 1965. The sharpest increase occurred during the Bush administration–11%. That comes to an average of $23,500 per household in 2007. Now, is President Bush to blame for all of this? Only in conjunction with Congress, which decided to go along with the spending spree. The saddest part of this to me is that Congress was controlled by the Republicans until the 2006 elections. They must share the blame. And then, of… Read more »

I have praised President Bush for his policies to keep America safe from terrorism and for his Supreme Court appointments. Where, in my estimation, did he fall short? Right from the start, I was bothered by his terminology, particularly his emphasis on “compassionate conservatism.” Now I know that may not seem like much to some people, and I also know that he took the title from an excellent Christian author, Marvin Olasky. Yet it seemed to come across as a… Read more »

Another of Bush’s positive accomplishments was adding two respected conservative justices to the Supreme Court. John Roberts replaced William Rehnquist as Chief Justice after Rehnquist’s death. Joseph Alito took over for retired justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Both Roberts and Alito are considered to be original intent jurists, seeking to find the reasons the founders included certain provisions in the Constitution. They do not believe that judges should make law. In this, Roberts mirrors Rehnquist; Alito is more concerned about original… Read more »

Rarely has a president had to face what Bush faced just eight months into his presidency. The only other times that enemies have attacked American soil were in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and at Pearl Harbor. The 9/11 attacks stunned the nation and called for a determined, forceful response. Bush gave it as he stood on the rubble of the Twin Towers. He vowed that the people who had perpetrated this terrorism would hear from us soon…. Read more »

Last week, I spoke at the Republican Club of Lakeland, providing my analysis of the positives and negatives of the Bush presidency. I began with a discussion of the 2000 election, which caused so much rancor in the nation. Through all the recounts and challenges, it was clear that George Bush won Florida, and therefore the election. It was a legitimate victory, marred primarily by attempts to overthrow it. Almost immediately, the media began its attack, treating Bush as a… Read more »