President Is Still Mum on Agenda For Second Term

[DaveSZ]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58274-2004Jul17.html


Analysis
President Is Still Mum on Agenda For Second Term

By Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 18, 2004; Page A01


As he campaigned around the country last week, President Bush asked voters to give him another four years to make the nation "safer and stronger and better." But with the election less than four months away, one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the president's campaign is what he would actually do if he wins a second term.



Bush's failure to detail a second-term agenda -- beyond his pledge to keep waging an aggressive war on terrorism -- represents a stark contrast to his previous campaigns, in which he set out a handful of priorities almost from the opening day and rarely deviated from them.

Throughout the year, Bush has focused on Iraq and terrorism and on drawing attention to improved economic statistics, but has barely begun to make the case about second-term priorities. Whether there is room for a bold domestic agenda, given the fiscal strains his first term has created, and whether Bush has fresh ideas on issues such as health care, education and the economy are questions yet to be answered.


The details remain closely held. Presidential advisers said elements of the plan have been agreed to, with debate still underway on others. Fighting terrorism remains paramount to the president, and on domestic issues there is a consensus outside the administration that Bush likely will renew his call for changes in Social Security.

-more

[noahmijo]

1. Don't be so impatient now Cheney is still writing *'s agenda up!

[HEyHEY]

2. He doesn't want to go into his plans to invade Poland

:shrug:

[DaveSZ]

3. Maybe he'll invade Canada

You guys have oil.

[HEyHEY]

17. We'll take our names of the map

And relax knowing he'll never find us

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. Just show him this map to confuse him

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=430000.440235657&Y=120000.570457139&gride=429017.440235657&gridn=117878.570457139&scale=100000&coordsys=gb&db=freegaz&lang=&inmap=&table=&ovtype=&localinfosel=&local=&kw=&srec=0&mapsize=big&db=freegaz&rt=

Just a few miles east of Bohemia, and there a ready-made Nomansland nearby for the war. There's even a Palestine about 20 miles north.

[WI_DEM]

4. of course he's mum since priority #1 will be to bring back the draft

can't win too many votes with that.

[DaveSZ]

5. I wouldn't be surprised if Kerry did the same

(draft)

[nono]

8. With the mess * put us in

A draft is almost a sure thing.

[wellstone_democrat]

6. He doesn't dare tell the truth

and it is taking more time than expected to make up plausible sounding lies. That's the whole reason and I would hope that if I know that in Texas, some big old reporter man in Washington DC could figure it out....

[Sandpiper]

7. What's he supposed to say

Vote for me and I promise to send more of your children to die?!

[punpirate]

9. I think the key is in the leaked budget estimates for 2005 and...

... 2006 which appeared three or so weeks ago.... Further cuts for social programs, more tax cuts.

As for war, and the draft, these guys won't say anything about those items until they're in the catbird seat. If they are, watch out. The neo-cons then think they have a mandate to run the world.

Worth mentioning what Sy Hersh said before his comments on torture at the ACLU members' conference last week: "these guys are a cult, and they've taken control of the government."

[DaveSZ]

10. This is pretty darn important

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/7/18/1473/54305

It's the main reason I have to vote for Kerry.

The next pres will probably appoint 2 or more SC justices.

[punpirate]

11. Good point and it's a conundrum...

... that that the two most likely candidates to retire, O'Connor and Rehnquist, haven't made a move in that direction since they will have had four years to make a decision by the time Bush's term expires. Lurking in the background is Ginsberg, who's had considerable health problems (far in excess of Rehnquist's bum knee).

The only reason I can think of for those two staying on is that they believe they'll be needed in some way in the 2004 election, given that they were principal players in the 2000 decision to install the boy king, and that the Democrats would stall forever on other Clarence Thomases in their place, which would seem certain.

We already know from the scuttlebutt that Bush would want to nominate Alberto Gonzales, his White House counsel and bud from the Texas Supreme Court, so it seems that their decision to stay on the court to this late date might have something to do with the 2004 election.

Cheers.

[flordehinojos]

12. MAKE AMERICA STRONGER,SAFER,BETTER? DOES HE MEAN ...

Does Bu$co mean that he wants to continue to put an end, in a slow, gradual, systemic way to the Constitution, which, he began dismantling on 9/11?

The blossoming, or already bloomed dictator, believes he needs to give no explanation as to how he will govern the rest of us because he will make the noose he started to put on us much, much tighter and who, amongst us would vote for him if he were to tell us that is what he intends to do even under the umbrella of making 'Murricah shtronger, safer, better!

Bush vermin be gone!
:silly:

[DaveSZ]

13. I think they don't want the american people to know the truth

of what they are planning.

I also wonder if OConnor and Rehnquist are staying on the court in case they have to install BUsh again.

[flordehinojos]

14. They probably are

Because they will have to reinstate the Bush Boy to the Oval Office.
I don't believe Bush Boy has the votes to be ELECTED to the office of the presidency of the U.S.A.
:D

[Snoggera]

15. Most will again be living in The Jungle (Sinclair Lewis)

No health care, mind and body destroying hours at work, cheated on every purchase made because there will be no other options (housing, transportation), hunger, desperation, confusion, anger, poor educations, death from war/starvation/freezing or disease.

Just a few things to look forward to in the new age of Masters and Slaves.

Of course, those next four years could turn out to be nothing but a wonderful fairytale about love, a life of plenty for all, and truth and justice. Somehow, I doubt it.

[nodehopper]

16. 4 more years, 4 more wars! Who needs any agenda beyond that?

[Miss Authoritiva]

18. My this is phrased rather delicately....

Balz wonders "whether there is room for a bold domestic agenda, given the fiscal strains his first term has created."

Let's put it in standard English: Bush ran the country into deep, deep debt chasing phantom WMDs and the wrong "evildoers."

[xxqqqzme]

19. no mystery here

4 more years of the of the last 4 only 20 times worse. There will nothing left of this country w/ 4 more years of these criminals.

[devinsgram]

20. I'm still waiting

to find out what he did for us the first time.

[Don_G]

21. He Dosen't Want To Let Go Of The Checkbook

[DoYouEverWonder]

22. I think this is a great question to ask a freeper

Please explain to me if Bu$h gets reelected what his agenda will be for the next for years? Then sit back and watch their heads explode.

[Judi Lynn]

24. Republicans have been getting a lot of mileage, apparently

asking where the Democratic answers are for the problems we've got. Even Cheney has made a point of opening his pie-hole and holding forth with his impressions that Democrats have NO SOLUTIONS for anything.

They are stepping around disclosing what their big ideas are. They should be asked about it by our world-famous press! :eyes:

[Mountainman]

25. This has been their goal from the first, reverse the New Deal and

any progressive change made since then.

There are two parts to their domestic agenda. The first is to let the conservative ideologues make over the culture in this country and the second is to create a two class system with the haves and the have nots. Wealthy repukes don't give a damn about the cultural agenda since they can buy their way into and out of anything so they throw bones to the ideologues so that their votes will keep them in power.

Their foreign policy is all about using military force to control all the wealth outside of our country.

[nolabels]

26. The whole reason for so much secrecy is to have leaks to scare people

(That's why this one isn't being broadcast too much yet)

Regime change in Iran now in Bush’s sights


By Jenifer Johnston


PRESIDENT George Bush has promised that if re-elected in November he will make regime change in Iran his new target.

Bush named Iran as part of the Axis of Evil along with North Korea and Iraq almost three years ago. A US government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that military action would not be overt in changing Iran, but rather that the US would work to stir revolts in the country and hope to topple the current conservative religious leadership.

The official said: “If George Bush is re-elected there will be much more intervention in the internal affairs of Iran.”

The Iranian government announced this weekend that it had successfully eradicated all al-Qaeda cells operating in the country, but the statement comes as leaked reports from the US September 11 Commission show definite links between Iran and the September 11 terrorists.

The final report from the cross-party inquiry, which is examining the origins of the September 11 attacks, is believed to contain concrete evidence of contacts between al-Qaeda and Iran.
(snip)
http://www.sundayherald.com/43461

[LibDemAlways]

27. Bushco's agenda is very simple:

Kill for profit.

[leesa]

28. Let's see...death and destruction for America and the world??

It's worked so well thus far, can't see why he would change the program. His friends are having spectacularily fruitful years under Bush.

[Jade Fox]

29. What is it about "Stay the course" that you people don't understand?

<sarcasm off>

Behind closed doors the Bush administration is in a state of panic and
chaos is my guess. They can not think beyond getting re-elected.

[snippy]

30. The Next Bush War.

Democrats should talk about the Next Bush War and use Bush's own statements against him.

Such as:

"There's no telling how many wars it will take to secure freedom in the homeland."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/08/20020805-4.html

"We're a nation with a mission, and that mission comes from our most basic beliefs. We believe that freedom is the right of every single person in the world. By the unselfish dedication of Americans in uniform, people in our own country and in lands far away, people can live in freedom and know the peace that freedom brings."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/02/20040217-5.html

This would force Bush into articulating what standards he will apply to justify his next invasion and whether those standards were met before the invasion of Iraq. This would create lots of challenges for Bush and he would not handle them well.