You know, I’ve carried a lot of water for this president, but my water-carrying days are over:
President Bush attacked opponents of an immigration deal Tuesday, suggesting they “don’t want to do what’s right for America.”
I don’t think he can flip me off more strongly than that.
UPDATE: Jay Nordlinger talks about me (in the generic sense, that is):
A little advice for President Bush: Watch your rhetoric against opponents of the immigration bill. Be understanding of those who oppose it. Why? Well, in part, because they include some of the people who still love you — and that band is not getting any bigger.
I don’t think I ever “loved” Bush, but I did bend over backwards to be fair to him, and to demand that his record not be distorted. Now that I’m bent over in an entirely different fashion, I’m not nearly as concerned.
UPDATE II: Check out similar sentiments at Dave in Texas, Slublog, and Ace of Spades HQ. More links can be found in the comments.
UPDATE III: And here’s a great summation by Peggy Noonan:
The president has taken to suggesting that opponents of his immigration bill are unpatriotic–they “don’t want to do what’s right for America.” His ally Sen. Lindsey Graham has said, “We’re gonna tell the bigots to shut up.” On Fox last weekend he vowed to “push back.” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff suggested opponents would prefer illegal immigrants be killed; Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said those who oppose the bill want “mass deportation.” Former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson said those who oppose the bill are “anti-immigrant” and suggested they suffer from “rage” and “national chauvinism.”
Why would they speak so insultingly, with such hostility, of opponents who are concerned citizens? And often, though not exclusively, concerned conservatives? It is odd, but it is of a piece with, or a variation on, the “Too bad” governing style. And it is one that has, day by day for at least the past three years, been tearing apart the conservative movement.
May 30, 2007 at 6:37 pm
You summed up my feelings quite nicely as well. Good post.
May 30, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Bush and company have lost me completely. I sent angry letters to the moronic media stations who slandered him, cheered the No Child Left Behind Act (until it hit my school!), and excused his dreadful communication skills.
Now I’ve had it. He’s sold out to the border sneaks who break federal laws and whine for ‘rights’. Besides being bad for the country, either he doesn’t care about anyone like him, or he’s just out of touch with reality.
And speaking of out of touch – how about the declaration that major combat in Iraq is over? (this was how many months ago?!)
The Iraq war has become the next Vietnam – our high-tech, super expensive $ army is once again *getting their butts kicked* by a bunch of fanatics who know the terrain. Much like we did to the British in the 1770’s. Ignorant peaceniks aren’t the only ones against the war, ya know!
I could go on. But I won’t. Goodbye forever, Bush. I hope at the very least you don’t leave a legacy of screwing things up even worse during the final months in office than you did in the rest of your 8 years.
May 30, 2007 at 9:08 pm
I’m not so sure about the “Vietnam” part of your argument, nor that our army is “getting their butts kicked.” And the “major combat in Iraq” declaration issue was debunked 4 years ago.
But Bush has not demonstrated an impressive skill set in coping with the Iraq situation, and that has been deadly for Iraqi civilians.
But what do I know – I apparently don’t even know “what’s best for America.”
May 31, 2007 at 6:07 am
Nice to see you all waking up, but what took so long? Bush and Cheney have been spewing this kind of rhetoric since the beginning…..I guess it was just a matter of time before their supporters began to get spattered as well.
May 31, 2007 at 8:03 am
It’s one thing to slam your opponents and quite another to slam your base. It’s a significant difference in kind, not just a matter of time.
May 31, 2007 at 8:41 am
[...] geoff articulates it well here, and I’d say that’s pretty much where I am over George W. Bush. I wasn’t in love with the guy, and over the years have been at odds with his positions on restraining the growth of government, Harriet Myers, and lately this complete “eff you” on immigration reform. I’ve defended him from unfair attacks, and been accused of being just another Bush-bot (because I didn’t criticize him over things my opponents believed I should criticize him for). [...]
May 31, 2007 at 11:42 am
admitting your / our own mistakes is a graceful and humble thing to do, if you can do it, and Bush simply can’t and won’t – who are we, who is he??
Newsflash, he remains the leader of the world’s greatest and most powerful nation, isn’t that a dangerous – why did we let him?much smaller scale, but no less dangerous we too realize too little too late now…with many soldiers who have died – perhaps in vain?
After 9-11, a lot of very patriotic young men have signed up for the military…I’m pretty sure this wasn’t their idea of restoring peace for our nation.. but once you’re in, you’re conditioned not to ask the commander in chief questions.
May 31, 2007 at 11:59 am
Don’t get too excited, here, D. I don’t really share your attitude toward the GWoT. I’m just not going to stand up for Bush any more.
May 31, 2007 at 2:13 pm
[...] like my fellow bloggers, am done. For 6 years I’ve defended the President, voted for him, defended him [...]
May 31, 2007 at 3:36 pm
[...] 31st, 2007 · No Comments Here, here, here, here, and [...]
May 31, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Don’t get excited? Well, excitement it isn’t. I wasn’t aware only people who share all of your opinions could leave a comment? Where I’m from, people get along fine despite different views, even if it is in politics or religion. I stand my what I say or write.
Integrity. I don’t flip-flop.
May 31, 2007 at 4:56 pm
I also supported Bush on the majority of issues only to find out that I am a racist and a bigot because I am concerned about the sovereignty of our country which in the overall scheme of things is a much bigger issue than the Iraq war.
May 31, 2007 at 5:01 pm
[...] …and my support for Bush dissipates completely You know, I’ve carried a lot of water for this president, but my water-carrying days are over: President Bush […] [...]
May 31, 2007 at 5:25 pm
I wasn’t aware only people who share all of your opinions could leave a comment?
???
June 1, 2007 at 3:38 am
Wholeheartedly agree. We’ve stood by him throughout all the catastrophe. Now he turns his back on us with this immigration b.s. Ridiculous. Its Fred Thompson time in DC.
June 1, 2007 at 3:59 am
My letter to my president:
Dear President Bush:
I am a loyal republican who voted for you twice. I also encouraged my friends and family to get you elected both in 2000 and in 2004. I have never written to you before. I supported your tax cut plans, and the wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq. In fact, I have supported almost every initiative that you have made for our great country. But today, I feel like I have been betrayed.
I am tired of standing up for you when you don’t seem interested in standing up for me, yourself or your party. I can’t believe that you seem perfectly content to flood our country with illegal immigrants and give them legal status to compete with the citizens of this country for jobs. Illegal immigration is destroying my once great state of California. Illegal immigrants have ruined neighborhoods, flouted our laws, agreed to work for next to nothing keeping wages stagnant and have created urban sprawl. They often live 3 or more families in single family dwellings, jam up our streets with automobiles creating traffic jams, over crowding schools, and raising our crime rate.
Don’t tell me that they “live in the shadows” because they don’t. They live in the wide open sunlight. They stand in front of hardware stores looking for work, and purchase fake documents in broad daylight without fear of prosecution. Don’t try to throw the race card at me because I am not a racist. It is YOU sir that is being racist with your claims that they will only do jobs Americans won’t do. That they will never do anything else except pick strawberries and scrub toilets forever and that they are good for nothing else. That sir is racism. The truth is that they are very industrious people and will soon be taking more and more jobs from Americans. They will eventually keep wages stagnant across the entire wage spectrum.
The fact is, they will work for next to nothing and that is why they do jobs Americans don’t do. They are cheep labor, and you are using them to pay off your donors for the money they gave to your campaign by substituting American workers for cheep foreign labor in order to lower the labor costs of business and pad their profit margins. That is all this is and you know it!!
After defending your actions against the radical left in this country since before you were even elected, you seem willing to just sell out me, your party, and your country for profits for your big money donors. I am so angry I can’t see straight.
Well, I am finished with you. I was one of the few citizens left in this country that would give you a positive job approval rating and you just toss me away now that you have gotten my vote. All that money means nothing without my vote and no amount of money can buy my vote. I love America to much to sell my vote to the highest bidder but I don’t think you care.
America doesn’t need another immigration bill. America needs a border security plan. You have the power to direct that a wall be built. You have the power to hire more immigration agents. You have the power to insist that our current immigration laws are enforced. We don’t need more immigration laws, we need to enforce the ones on the books.
You could have gone down in history as a great president who defended America against the terrorist threat and promoted American ideas of democracy and capitalism throughout the world but instead you will be remembered as the guy who left the door wide open and destroyed our great country. You should stop collaborating with the criminals and enemies of the American way of life and figure out who your friends are, if you have any left.
sincerely,
XXXXXXXXXXXX
June 1, 2007 at 8:57 am
Where I’m from, people get along fine despite different views, even if it is in politics or religion
Where you’re from, legal and illegal immigrant Turks and German nationals ain’t exactly the best of pals. So you can keep that nonsense to yourself.
June 1, 2007 at 9:30 am
[...] go….kind of like what Ace, Geoff, and Dave in Texas, just to name a few, have been [...]
June 1, 2007 at 9:56 am
[...] with us, or you’re with the terrorists,” and in precisely the wrong direction. “…don’t want to do what’s right for America?” Mr President, you’ve rendered those words worse than meaningless, worse than a joke; [...]
June 1, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Wow, Bush really kicked over a hornet’s nest with this one — the vehemence of the reaction makes me wonder if there wasn’t already a seething anti-Bush sentiment among conservatives, just waiting for a valid excuse to express itself.
It *is* entertaining, though — and I guess it’s true that
Heav’n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn’d,
Nor Hell a Fury, like a Bush-supporter scorn’d.
June 1, 2007 at 1:03 pm
the vehemence of the reaction makes me wonder if there wasn’t already a seething anti-Bush sentiment among conservatives
We always had a lot of problems with the guy. We just liked his instincts on the economy and GWoT. But if you look at the link I gave in the comment on the other thread, you’ll see the sentiment that drives the vehemence.
June 2, 2007 at 2:35 am
I have never supported Bush , didn’t vote for him in 2000 or 2001, I have railed against this mans blatent corportism from the first day I caught onto it. I always thought Iraq was his real mission for seeking the POTUS and his crew Rove Cheney and all are complete thugs and hypocrites.
Having said all of that, I am 100 percent with you guys and girls on this immigration scam. This is nonthing more then cheap labor for his big time doners. Bush is a globalist, his father is a globalist NAFTA was drafted by his father and signed by Clinton. Globalization is weakiening America, it is doing wonders for China and other nations, but for Americans, well we are being robbed , that is how I feel about it.
I am not here to say I told you so or any other sarcastic bull like that, I just thought I would let you know that we on the other side are pretty damn worried about this amnesty deal as well, and as soon as we are done licking our wounds over the spinless dems who blinked on the war funding , I am sure we will come join you in the cause 100 percent, already we are with you in the cause, just not as vocal, YET..
It takes alot of courage to admit that someone you supported and defeneded has betrayed you and openly cut off of that relationship, it is a sign of strengt from the conservatives that frankly has been lacking. Glad to see the republicans are Conservative again.
June 3, 2007 at 5:15 am
Just curious…what is corportism?
June 4, 2007 at 12:21 pm
the principles, doctrine, or system of corporative organization of a political unit, as a city or state.
IT is used to privatize and sell off the goverment. hence selling off the nation by reason of being a debtor nation that is financed via other nations. Only the very very rich benefit, the rest of us end up with modern day slavery that is legalized and living in third world nation who preforms labor for cheap. Very evil shit.
June 4, 2007 at 12:57 pm
My head hurts.
June 5, 2007 at 6:04 am
Are you a slave Jenn?
And what do you go for? I mean, how much?
July 17, 2007 at 4:55 am
Immigration was a thing with me. He tells us we are at war and allows whoever and whatever to cross our borders and defends their right !!?? Bush, like many of the “eliete’
July 17, 2007 at 5:08 am
Sorry! Immigration was the thing with me. He tells us we are at war and allows whoever and whatever free passage and defends their right ??!! Bush, like many of the elite, want borders free to the north and south of us. They want a “Euro ” America with Canada and Mexico as equal partners. This is a high priority with him and seems to be more important the war!
Ted