THE DEVASTATING LEGACY of THE TWO BUSHES

Both Bush presidents introduced socialism to this country to an extent that would have been a challenge for a Democrat. When Obama continues the trend, Republicans will be the vocal, disloyal opposition but under the Bush clan legislation and policy enjoyed by Democrats and passively accepted by Republicans have moved this country toward socialism and in my generation, we probably will not reverse that direction. I did not vote for either Bush nor did I vote for the competitors but I would have hoped that the Bush group might have saved us, assertively, from the march toward government control of…everything.

George W. Bush demonstrates no concept of the more “conservative” values of individual responsibility and choice. He has opened the flood gates to all who want the taxpayers to make them whole from choices that were poor on the face and whose devastating outcomes could have reasonably been known in advance.

The banks should not have been bailed out. Their failures were the product of their own unwise investment decisions including sub-prime lending. But specifically with respect to the issue of sub-prime lending, Clinton, Obama et all promised expensive litigation if the banks did not make sub-prime loans (to minorities) so to the extent they made those loans it might be reasonable to expect the banks to foreclose and then the government reimburse them for the value they lose during liquidation. (That is NOT a bail-out).

Now the auto makers. What a punch in the face to taxpayers, employees earning minimum wage and the employees of Toyota and Honda who are still paid excessively but less than the UAW. If I were an employee of Toyota or Honda and Bush just announced he was going to take part of my earnings to keep the higher-paid UAW employees employed…with no concessions...I would be frothing at the mouth. And what about folks at any wage who want to buy a car but cannot because the Big 3 products are too expensive? Bush and his minions have just made sure those cars will be priced out of reach since there is no mandated industry/labor reform that will be meaningful. Big Three must prove solvency by March or the loans are “called”? Is there any chance…at all…that Obama will call those loans? Have another drag on your 420 if you actually believe that. More money down the rust-belt rat hole.

The states are already in line and anyone with political savvy knew this was coming. For years, California, New Jersey, Michigan and my own socialist state have over-spent with no restraint and have already appealed to Obama to make them whole. This lets irresponsible big spenders off the hook without tarnish and tells the other states that they were foolish for practicing fiscal restraint. That is the ONLY message to the responsible states. George, bless his Christian heart, started all of this.

Then there is Bush #1. Remember the “read my lips: no new taxes”? Oh lord. And Bush #1 gave us the Americans with Disabilities Act “ADA” which was defined to be fleshed out via multi-billion dollar litigation. One of the most “crippling” pieces of legislation in recent memory. The senior Bush was ineffective as a leader but he too caved to liberal pressure for extended unemployment for United Auto Workers who would not take wage cuts to keep their companies a-float; he gave us amnesty for illegal aliens and, again, with ADA, made lawyers rich, and employers afraid of being sued and losing to law that was based on emotion rather that reason.

I reiterate that I did not vote for Either Bush and, frankly, I consider them reputable, caring men of great integrity (yes, really). The well-meaning but destructive 12-year Bush legacy has set the stage for, as Obama calls it, “a country you will not recognize after I assume presidency.” I am glad father and son are gone and at least Obama, with his majority, will be fully responsible for the prison we will come to know as “progressivism, a-la Roosevelt.” And the Republicans, believing that as the minority party they can now be fighters, will, I hope, be much more outspoken than they were during the Bush presidencies. Maybe the next four years will produce dialogue and dissension that has been so sadly absent in the past.

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