imkittymyers at hotmail dot com
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
HAVE YOU BECOME PART OF THE PROBLEM?
Remember this picture of President Bush on 9/11? That was a reassuring picture for many of us, seeing the president calmly leading us through the horror of being attacked in our own country. The Left raised an unholy stench because the RNC was going to use this picture in its fund rasing. They accused the president and the RNC of using the tragedy of 9/11 to raise money. Those were the good ol' days.
The Left's rancor for Reagan and their bile for Bush is to be expected, but I've gotta be honest; I am not prepared for this seething from the Right.
I did not watch the speech. Immigration is not one of my issues. Maybe it should be considering the times, but it just isn't. I have no idea of how to approach the issue, a problem which this country has faced for decades.
Rush predicted on January 28, 2005: [T]here's one real issue here that could break up the so-called Republican-conservative coalition, and that is immigration. ... This issue, if not handled properly by this administration, it could be the issue that severs the existing Republican coalition and could see to it to create the rise of a new Perot or somebody, where a president only needs to get 43% of the vote to win, a'la Bill Clinton, because some of the Republican coalition breaks away and votes for the newcomer. This is the issue that could cause that to happen if they're not careful.
That prediction seems to be coming to true.
This morning I received an e-mail from my friend, Lorie Byrd, announcing that she will no longer be posting at Polipundit: What is really ironic about this is that the split is over the immigration debate and that is not even one of "my issues." I always deferred to Polipundit on the issue due to his background and passion on the subject. Lately most of my posts have not even dealt with immigration, but the ones that have were more about how I thought the tone and tenor of the debate had gotten out of hand, rather than the actual policy positions. I am sad that things turned out this way, but believe this is probably for the best.
I voted for George Bush because I liked his character. Still do. I have to tell you that Bush was a hard sell for me. Early in 2000, I felt as though he were being crammed down the Republicans' throats. But as he campaigned around the country, and as more and more people reacted positively towards him, I began to think I had misjudged the man. By October at least, maybe sooner, I was sold. I voted for the man, for his character, knowing he would always put this country ahead of his personal interests. I still firmly believe that, too, even though I have not always agreed with him on every issue.
It's disheartening to see so many from the Right taking their potshots at the president. It seems too many of the bloggers are angry at President Bush. I'm not talking about good ol' American disagreement. Disagree in public all you want. I'm talking about the vitriol, and thank goodness there are others who agree with me.
8 Mac Ranger says Shut up whiners: Tell Michelle Malkin that no matter what we aren't building internment camps and we're not going to shoot mexicans. Unfortunately anything short of that won't satisfy her. Too bad - on this issue she is too radical for any calm and rational solutions.
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Instead of cursing the darkness - at least Bush lit a candle. Most of the detractors I've read tonight are swearing up a storm - in the dark.
8 AJ Strata says: The immigration debate has gotten ugly, and it is because some on the right have forgotten they too are responsible for their self control. A lot of good people are signalling to people like this it is time to take matters out of the handsof government. Well, good people go bad.
8 Lucianne linked to a great blogger who reflected: Blogger burnout: it's the end of the beginning: The consensus is that a frustrating frustration is abroad in the land, related to the fact that the "easier" parts of this struggle have ended or are ending. ... But now we're facing even tougher problems.
She wrote this on 9/11/01:
The legal actions of the past--the puny trial after the first World Trade Center attack, for example--no longer seemed like an effective response. It seemed, in retrospect, to have been almost laughably naive. The situation didn't even seem amenable to a conventional war. Something new would have to be invented, and fast. And it would have to be global. It would have to have great depth and breadth, and it would probably last for decades or even longer.
I have the greatest amount of respect for President Bush. Without whining or casting blame, he has been a tireless leader in the face of some of the most daunting challenges our country has ever witnessed (here and abroad). It's one thing when the Left spew their hatred at Bush, but now some on the Right are chiming in, too, and the level of disagreement has been ratcheted up to ugly. If I were President Bush, I'd be mighty tempted at this point to chuck it all and go back to the ranch. Leave the rest of you to solve the problems. After all, y'all seem so damned smug you know how.
Yet Bush soldiers on because that's just the kind of man he is, the kind I voted for. Thank God!
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