Even Republicans should expect better

Published 9:00 pm Monday, February 9, 2004

There came a point where I, a Democrat, gave up on Bill Clinton. I wonder what it will take for Republicans to do the same to George Bush.

If you favor small government, wouldn’t you favor honest government? And if you love America, I’d guess you love democracy, free press and open debate. So when might you look at this White House and recoil?

Bush knew the true cost of the Medicare drug bill before giving the figures to Congress. He went to war for reasons he chose not to share. He is obstructing the 9/11 investigation and managing the intelligence investigation. His people leaked information about Joe Wilson’s wife; he could tell us who if he so chose. He said the deficit would be “small and brief.” The current budget omits $50 billion of war spending and is still more than $500 billion in the hole. He signed “No Child Left Behind,” and left the funding behind. He promised corporate responsibility, and underfunds the SEC. The list goes much longer.

With this administration, those who seek the truth are stonewalled or lied to, and those who tell the truth are fired (Paul O’ Neill), bullied (Joe Wilson) or called terrorist-aiders (the rest of us.) Isn’t there a point where even a Republican would look at this pattern and think, “Ya know, conservatism is good, but maybe this guy isn’t the one to carry the banner.”

Most of us would like to think we couldn’t be manipulated by a well-orchestrated propaganda machine. Might it be time for everyone – even those on the right – to stop, look, listen and think?

Everett