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Where is this Administration Taking Us?
Posted 12-13-2002
It is nearly two years into GW Bush's term as President, and I wonder
just where this administration is taking us. The Clinton years ended with a
federal budget surplus and a plan to pay off the national debt in seven
years. Bush's first order of business was to cut those very taxes that
economists credit as being the reason the federal government finally was on
solid financial footing. Bush wasn't just satisfied with a one time tax cut,
he wanted ten years worth of tax cuts, predicated on a economic forecast
that dramatically changed before the taxes could be cut.
Now, with economic forecasts
dramatically different, Bush and Republican leaders are rushing to make
those tax cuts permanent. They are doing so, in a time when they are also
leading our nation into the unknown consequences of a war. One consequence
we know for sure, it will cost us much, much more money.
Am I missing something, or do
Bush's first two years in office not demonstrate any kind of responsible
leadership? He floundered around until September 11, 2001, and since then
has been in a "war" mode. First, it was Osama Bin Laden and the terrorists
that were our primary enemy. Then after invading Afghanistan and apparently
not capturing him, Bush simply shifts to a new villain, Sadaam Hussein. Can
you imagine if this event had happened while Clinton was in office? Fox News
would be on Osama Bin Laden watch, day 455.
It will be interesting to see
what a Republican administration, with a Republican House and Senate
actually accomplish. The Republicans controlled both houses of Congress from
1994 through 2000 and spent all of their time investigating Bill Clinton's
sex life, like it was the most important issue in America. No detail
deserved privacy. Now, we have a vice-president who goes to court to ensure
that he keeps private who advised him on developing an energy policy. Why
does a policy issue deserve to be private ,but not someone's personal life?
We shall see if the
Republican Party will tackle the tough issues facing America. Will they work
on the challenges facing our economy? Will they face the challenge of doing
something to strengthen social security, or will they take this safety net
and subject to the volatility of the market? Will they face the enormous
challenge we have in America of soaring health care costs, a Medicare system
quickly breaking down, and forty million Americans without health insurance?
With an administration loaded
with resurrected Nixon and Ford cronies and a Congressional majority loaded
with people who philosophically hate government, I expect little effort to
foster positive change. I expect much more of trumping up villains, who for
years we supplied with weapons (like Sadaam), and little effort to tackle
issues that require hard work, and telling influential supporters what they
do not want to hear. But, should we really expect much more from a guy that
really didn't win the election and a political party that's only goal is to
cut taxes and protect their friends? |
