Boston Globe: Frist flops on two big GOP leadership tests

[Trajan]

Frist flops on two big GOP leadership tests

By Thomas Oliphant, Globe Columnist | July 18, 2004

WASHINGTON

CONSERVATIVE "government" sputtered and then flopped last week as it attempted to grapple with the absurd contradictions inherent in subsidizing big business and regulating people's lives.

For all the right reasons, the bulk of the attention went to the rebuke handed President Bush and his Senate leadership pals who could not explain why conservatives should use the Constitution to not only regulate marriage but also overturn their movement's cherished 11th Amendment position that powers not given to Uncle Sam should be reserved for the states and the people.

My attention, however, was just as riveted on another flop by Bush and his hand-picked Senate leader, Bill Frist of Tennessee, in mismanaging possibly the worst piece of tax legislation in American history in a way that has given proponents of serious regulation of the tobacco racket their best opportunity ever.

Put the two flops together, and the picture emerges of a movement that does better at outrage over trends in a free society than at governing, a movement willing to spend what they like to call "taxpayer money" and pass out special interest tax breaks to stay in power..

-snip-

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/07/18/frist_flops_on_two_big_gop_leadership_tests/

[wolfgirl]

1. Frist is

a jerk!:puke:

[charlyvi]

2. These folks do not know how to govern.

They are a bunch of clowns trying to drive that tiny car into the ground.