George W Bush WSJ Op-Ed

Mr. G takes President Bush to task for his speechwriter's op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.

Which is why his article in the Wall Street Journal today just mad me mad. Here we have a man calling on democrats to adhere to those theories of government which he has been unwilling to stand for himself over the last six years.

The article is an testament to restraint on government bureaucracy and spending. This from the man who has been unwilling to veto anything from a Republican Congress which seems to have forgotten who's money they are spending. No, Mr. President, you lost the privilege of lecturing others on small government when you pushed for the Transportation Security Administration hiring 50,000 new government employees. Government spending is out of control and you have done nothing to stop it. It is laughable that you would presume to lecture anyone on the subjects of small government and spending restraint.

How I love the true believers now having buyer's remorse. G is right. Bush hasn't vetoed a single spending bill. The only thing he vetoed was the popular stem cell bill.

The op-ed itself is hysterical. The man who has used national security as a partisan issue has called for a bipartisan environment. He could start by firing Karl Rove. He did promise to fire anyone who leaked Valerie Plame's name to the press.

"There are too many leaks of classified information and if there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is."

The WSJ op-ed touched on the usual Bush talking points

Mentioned hard work? Check.

Linked 9-11 to Iraq? Check.

Used the word "robust" to described the state of the "economies." Check.

Bush mentions the earmarks to make the case for a line-item veto. Like this president doesn't have enough executive power as it is. Bush has never vetoed a spending bill. Yet, he keeps harping about the line-item veto. The Supreme Court has already declared line-item vetos unconstitutional. Not that Bush cares what the courts think.

G offers up Bush this advise.

But prove to us that you will stand on these convictions; veto the democrat's minimum wage hike, veto their immigration policies, veto the inevitable litany of new government programs they will propose.

Immigration blew up in Republicans faces during the midterms. That is why they appointed Mel Martinez co-chair of the RNC. If Bush vetos minimun wage he will be killing his party's chances in 2008. Bush governed from the right since his first inauguration. The public runs when they see true conservatism. Contrary to what Jonah Goldberg believes - Bush is no liberal.