A Thinking Reed

Credit where due, etc.

Written by

Lee M.

in

In last night’s press conference (which preempted the O.C. – @#$!!*&!) President Bush suggested cutting the rate of Social Security benefits for the top 70% of earners, while keeping the rate of increase the same for those in the bottom 30%. Seems like a reasonable step to me.

He also distanced himself from the “Justice Sunday” crowd:

He also urged the Senate to allow an up-or-down vote on his stalled judicial nominations. But he disagreed with allies who have said Democrats were blocking some of those nominees because they opposed people of religious faith.

“I think people are opposing my nominees because they don’t like the judicial philosophy of the people I’ve nominated,” Bush said. “I don’t ascribe a person’s opposing my nominations to an issue of faith.”

Never let it be said that we’re all negative all the time here!

Comments

5 responses to “Credit where due, etc.”

  1. Joshie

    typical of the administration though. they are always careful to keep him above the fray while everybody else does the dirty work. It seems like a lot of republican senators are getting a lot of pressure from the white house now. the justice sunday thing seemed very unlike frist and lugar has been acting very unlugarish recently in the foreign relations committee.

    Reply
  2. Lee

    Good point. I doubt Bush would be displeased if Frist, et al. were successful in getting the Dems to bring Bush’s nominees to a floor vote via their questionable tactics.

    Reply
  3. Anonymous

    I agree that Lugar’s comments on Bolton seem a little out of character, but how can you say Justice Sunday was out of character for Frist. Frist is not a moderate like Hagel or Snow, and is not even an independent conservative like McCain.

    Reply
  4. Joshie

    I don’t know frist all that well really. My impression of him has always been that he while definately a conservative he was not given to hyperbolic grandstanding like “justice sunday” where all non-republicans are branded, or at least implied to be, godless heathens.

    But like I said, I haven’t studied his career very closely, just my vague impression.

    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    If your impression is that Frist does not normally say idiotic things, than I would agree. I believe that his Justice Sunday appearance, and his “diagnosis of Terri Schiavo” have more to do with his own positioning for 2008 than with any pressure from the White House. Frist is very conservative, and he wants to appear even more conservative to GOP primary voters for 2008.

    Reply

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