For all the Compassionate Conservatives

[SunDevil]

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001806.php

Bush: Get Me Some Compassion, Stat!
By Justin Rood - October 16, 2006, 11:59 AM

Former White House special assistant David Kuo rolled out his kiss-and-tell book, "Tempting Faith," on 60 Minutes last night. In the book, Kuo -- who handled the thankless task of pushing for Bush's "compassionate conservative" agenda within the White House -- details how cynically the administration used those issues to its advantage.

I've just had a chance to flip through the book myself, which is larded with some fun tidbits (news flash: John Ashcroft cheats in basketball!). But one story in particular of White House hard-heartedness sets Kuo's allegations in stark relief.

Kuo recounts the fallout in the White House from a January 2003 Esquire article by Ron Suskind. In it, former White House "Faith-Based Initiatives" director John DiIulio blasted the Bush administration for "a complete lack of a policy apparatus." The entire Bush agenda, DiIulio said, was developed and pushed by Karl Rove's political shop. As a result, Bush's "compassionate" social policy promises were ignored, in favor of driving wedge issues and making unfulfilled promises.

The article enraged President Bush, Kuo writes. The rest, as they say, is parody:

"Well," [Bush] yelled. . . "is [DiIulio] right or isn't he? Have we done compassion or haven't we? I wanna know."

An hour later we got the first and only call from the deputy chief of staff Josh Bolten's office requesting an urgent "compassion meeting." . . .

[Bush] wanted to know how much we had spent on compassion programs in his first two years of office. We made some calls and did some calculations. . . [and found] we were actually spending about $20 million a year less than before he had taken office.

"That number never actually made it to the president," Kuo says.

Two hours after Bolten's urgent call, a group of advisers including Kuo and now-Education secretary Margaret Spellings convened:

"We gotta get some compassion stuff out there now," Margaret [Spellings] said. "What have we got?"

I wanted to laugh, but it was far more sad than funny.

"Well, I have an idea," the other domestic policy staffer said. "I hear chronic homelessness is a problem. I read an article where there are thirty thousand homeless people in America. Maybe we could do something to help them."

"I think it is just a few more than that actually," I volunteered. The actual figure at the time was over 750,000.

"What else have we got?" Margaret asked.

The attendees were tasked to come up with several one-page policy proposals in the next 24 hours, which the president could consider for inclusion in his upcoming State of the Union address, Kuo writes. Two days later, Bush chose three proposals, and announced them to the country in his annual address.

After the speech, however, "they promptly disappeared," Kuo says.

[Arles]

With all these books coming out, you'd think an election was coming or something...

[Toddzilla]

Originally Posted by Arles

With all these books coming out, you'd think an election was coming or something...

LOL - my thoughts exactly.

Quite absurd, actually, since everyone knowsthe American electorate doesn't actually read books.

[JonInMiddleGA]

For all the Compassionate Conservatives

Just out of curiosity, does anyone actually know someone who consider "compassionate conservatism" a significant influence on their (past) votes?

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Just out of curiosity, does anyone actually know someone who consider "compassionate conservatism" a significant influence on their (past) votes?

No.. just aggressive apathy..

[Flasch186]

JIMG
I wonder if thats not simply a catch phrase however, and would actually be an umbrella for such singular items as Gay marriage ammendment, Prayer in schools, etc.

I dont know, really. just wondering.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

JIMG
I wonder if thats not simply a catch phrase however,

I guess that's pretty much what I was getting at (or at least thinking). To be honest, I don't think I ever really thought of it as being anything more than a catch phrase ... which is what started me to thinking that I really don't know anyone that thought of it as anything other than that, and a low impact one at that.

edit to add: Saying this, of course, means that someone will come along in this thread & say that this phrase was their overwhelming reason for voting for GOP candidates.

[Flasch186]

no but one may argue that the "base" and much of America is a "catchphrase" society so that in some people's brains a catchphrase, like that one, equals other things in the brain. So for example, when the right, injects into the psyche of the base, a catchphrase like that, they think "religion in schools, anti homosexual, pro-war in Iraq, etc." (keep in mind Im reflecting - pro-war in iraq may not equate the same today).

[Bubba Wheels]

Not sure what he hopes to accomplish with this. Bush is done running for anything. And most conservative Christians, apparently his 'target base' for putting this out could not care less.

The Evangelicals want Bush to be sympathetic in policy, which he has been, and probably don't think about having their 'feelings hurt' which would seem be the point of this.

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

"religion in schools, anti homosexual, pro-war in Iraq, etc." (keep in mind Im reflecting - pro-war in iraq may not equate the same today).

Those are not any of the things that I think about when I think about "compassionate conservatism." I thought "compassionate conservatism" was more or less what Giuliani represents - conservative on things like law and order and economics, but compassionate on things like welfare and immigration.

I never really pay attention to stuff like that, though.

[MrBigglesworth]

Newsflash: the Bush administration is full of shit.

st.cronin is correct, compassionate conservatism is a type of moderate conservatism:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compassionate_conservatism

Obviously, Bush just used it to get elected and to prop up his poll numbers every once in a while.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by MrBigglesworth

Newsflash: the Bush administration is full of shit.

st.cronin is correct, compassionate conservatism is a type of moderate conservatism:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compassionate_conservatism

Obviously, Bush just used it to get elected and to prop up his poll numbers every once in a while.

I find great irony in your saying st. cronin is correct, given your sig

[MrBigglesworth]

Originally Posted by Izulde

I find great irony in your saying st. cronin is correct, given your sig

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

Those are not any of the things that I think about when I think about "compassionate conservatism." I thought "compassionate conservatism" was more or less what Giuliani represents - conservative on things like law and order and economics, but compassionate on things like welfare and immigration.

I never really pay attention to stuff like that, though.

Ding Ding!