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Monday, October 22, 2007
Donald Lambro :: Townhall.com Columnist
Largely Irrelevant? Bush Soldiers On
by Donald Lambro
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He has vetoed Democratic legislation to micromanage the war in Iraq and to impose troop-withdrawal timelines, vetoes the Democrats have been unable to override.

More recently, he vetoed the Democrats' attempt to boost spending for the State Children's Health Insurance Program by an additional $35 billion over five years that would have more than doubled its funding.

Bush has proposed a 20 percent hike in the SCHIP program that would add 500,000 low-income children to the program, and as this is written, it appeared the Democrats did not have the votes to override his veto in the House.

Meantime, none of the 12 annual appropriations bills have been passed, even though the government is more than two weeks into the new fiscal year. Bush is threatening to veto most, if not all, of them if they exceed his spending limits, but for now he has stymied the Democrats' propensity to spend like there's no tomorrow.

To be sure, Bush's job-approval polls remain in the basement, largely due to the war, but Congress' job-approval scores are worse. Perhaps it is the Democrats who have become irrelevant, or at least impotent.

He has had successes elsewhere this year. The deficit has plummeted as a result of much higher-than-expected tax revenues and the application of spending brakes by the Office of Management and Budget.

The military surge in Iraq has succeeded in driving the terrorists out of key provinces, while giving the Iraqis time to strengthen their own military as Gen. David Petraeus prepares to withdraw some of our forces in the next six months.

On the diplomatic front, we have persuaded North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program as efforts toward a preliminary relationship between North and South Korea have begun to make some tentative headway.

All of these things did not happen by accident, but were the result of strategic decisions made by Bush and carried out by his administration. Mischievous suggestions by underinformed White House reporters that he has grown increasingly irrelevant are a bit premature at this point.

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About The Author

Donald Lambro is chief political correspondent for The Washington Times.

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Reply # 1
Date: Oct 24, 2007 - 7:33 AM EST
The Rhineland NOT Revisited
Dear Mr. Lambro:

Despite the endless liberal caterwauling of the past seven years, one great point to Mr. Bush's administration remains salient. Unlike his British and French predessors in the 1930s, he took a proactive stance against a rising movement of tyranny. Instead of waiting, as Clinton did, for the enemy to consolidate his forces and, thereby, forcing a full-scale world war, George Bush had the courage to put his political capital on the line and carry the war directly to terror's breeding ground.

Political pundits can disparage his conduct of the war all they want (and for amoral reasons) but history has recorded the incredible achievements of American arms in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have seen American troops doing what they have historically done best: Win wars and set people free. That they have done this in the face of the decadency of our so-called allies (whose very existance we are defending) and of ambitious traitors at home, is an enduring testament to their courage and resolve.

Had it not been for the President's like qualities, none of this could have occurred. By now, we would likely be facing a united and radicalized Islamic world, standing over the smoking ruins of Israel, and preparing their nuclearized onslaught on Christendom.
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Reply # 2
Date: Oct 23, 2007 - 8:41 PM EST
Largely Irrelevant
I, the wife am the political person in our family.

I subscribe to this newsletter, News Max and The Weekly Standard.

The Republicans kicked the bad guys out.

The Democrats still have theirs and they keep getting elected.

We know a lot of people both Reps and Dems. We do NOT know one person who says they would vote for Hillary Clinton.

She has a hard row to hoe.

I beleive that Pres. Buish wants the best for the USA. that does not mean he is always right.

I beleive the Dems. just want us to lose in Iraq thinking they will get elected if we do.

They do not seem to understand that if we lose they will not have anything to run for or to.

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