http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/01/bush_speech_fra.html

January 25, 2007

Bush Speech Fractures Right, Prompts Race for Letters to the Editor

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins isn't the only
right-wing leader unhappy with President Bush's State of the Union
speech.

"We're disappointed that he didn't mention cultural issues at all,"
said National Review editor Rich Lowry.

The Institute for Policy Innovation, a strong supporter of Bush's plan
two years ago to privatize Social Security, now asserts that he
"lacked leadership in that he failed to propose any [specific]
solutions." Bush "left a lot of conservatives shaking their heads"
with the speech, according to Bill Lauderback of the American
Conservative Union.

A spokesperson for Gary Bauer's American Values lamented that the
president "lost a golden opportunity to set the stage" by emphasizing
right-wing issues.

Rick Scarborough, a key organizer of politically-charged "Patriot
Pastors," claimed Bush was beholden to the Religious Right to take up
their causes:


While the president spoke, I couldn't help but groan inwardly as I
reflected on the squandered opportunities of the past six years of a
"conservative" majority.

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/01/bush_speech_fra.html

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2007/01/bush_speech_fra.html

January 25, 2007

Bush Speech Fractures Right, Prompts Race for Letters to the Editor

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins isn't the only
right-wing leader unhappy with President Bush's State of the Union
speech.

"We're disappointed that he didn't mention cultural issues at all,"
said National Review editor Rich Lowry.

The Institute for Policy Innovation, a strong supporter of Bush's plan
two years ago to privatize Social Security, now asserts that he
"lacked leadership in that he failed to propose any [specific]
solutions." Bush "left a lot of conservatives shaking their heads"
with the speech, according to Bill Lauderback of the American
Conservative Union.

A spokesperson for Gary Bauer's American Values lamented that the
president "lost a golden opportunity to set the stage" by emphasizing
right-wing issues.

Rick Scarborough, a key organizer of politically-charged "Patriot
Pastors," claimed Bush was beholden to the Religious Right to take up
their causes:


While the president spoke, I couldn't help but groan inwardly as I
reflected on the squandered opportunities of the past six years of a
"conservative" majority.

As he concluded his remarks with "God Bless," it dawned on me that the
speech didn't contain even a passing reference to the issues that sent
millions of Christians to the polls in 2000, 2002 and 2004 - making
Bush a two-term president and giving his party a majority in Congress
for six years - the first time in more than half-a-century that
Republicans controlled the presidency and both Houses of Congress.

Whatever else they voted for..Values Voters did not turn out in past
elections so their concerns could be ignored the day after the
election. Is it any wonder that so many us stayed home last November?


Anti-immigrant members of Congress, led by Rep. Tom Tancredo
(R-Colorado), held a press conference to denounce the looming prospect
of comprehensive immigration reform.

"I am disappointed but not surprised that the President has once again
chosen to trot out this same old pig - albeit one with a slightly new
shade of lipstick," said Tancredo, who called Bush "tone deaf,"
despite Republicans' recent loss of control of the House after a year
of pushing draconian immigration measures.

Tancredo added that "The president worked hard to get a Congress that
agrees with him on this and now he's got it. But we're still going to
fight him on it."

And direct-mail pioneer and right-wing icon Richard Viguerie declared
it was "clear" from the speech that Bush "is surrendering the domestic
agenda to the Democrats."

Viguerie called on his readers to write letters to the editor and call
radio talk shows:


So, I urge you to use whatever forums are at your disposal to
speak out-email, blogs, letters to the editor, calling in to your
favorite talk radio show, op-ed articles, etc.

Let's send a message to the Big Government Republicans that we are not
in their hip pocket, and we expect the GOP to faithfully represent and
fight for the conservative positions that brought them to power.


Oddly enough, the new chairman (not to be confused with the new
"general chairman") of the Republican National Committee, Mike Duncan,
had a similar suggestion in an e-mail yesterday:


Last night, President Bush laid out a comprehensive and innovative
agenda for our nation for the upcoming year.

The President's initiatives focus on issues of importance to all
Americans, from foreign policy and the War on Terror to improving
access to health care and continuing to grow our economy.

Now, we need your help to ensure that his agenda becomes a reality.

Here are two ways you can help right now:

a.. Write A Letter to Your Editor spreading the word about this
bold new agenda

a.. Call Talk Radio and tell them why you support the President's
agenda, and why they should too.


If the Right separates into these two factions, perhaps we can look
forward to two more years this internecine conflict playing out with
these letters to the editor and radio call-ins.

On the other hand, it could be as ACU Chairman David Keene put it:

with Democrats in control of Congress and 2008 presidential candidates
already lining up, "People are looking past Bush."

_________________________________________________

So why does the country need Bush? Clearing brush is right up his
alley.

Harry