Twisted Words
It's an interesting thing to watch when someone is running scared.
in the last week, President bush has introduced two new initiatives to the public in an attempt to pull up his sagging ratings. Both seem to be wild turns away from where the administration had been going. Still, a closer inspection seems to show that they are just re-packaging the same story in new packaging.
Bush's border strategy plays to the conservative crowd, and not necessarily the faith-based group. Conservatives have been calling for stricter border controls since 9/11, and before. Some of the issue is simply another rehash of the Homeland Security game, where airlines and subways were exposed as risks, now the possibility of terrorist crossing the border has finally gotten a look from this administration.
Of course the other concern is illegal aliens, of the normal kind. Bush has rarely pushed this issue, often seeming soft to many conservatives playing the wishes of Mexico president Vincente Fox. The real story isn't that we're going to go and hunt down Mexicans who've come here to find a living, it's the fact that a worker program is being offered up by the administration. Bush knows that there isn't enough money to actually place a hard cap on illegal immigration, and there's little chance of success in trying to round up illegals. The success rate would liken to that of the war on drugs...something that's surprisingly similar.
The real question would be, what happens to the economy of the United States when we try to push out those workers. I know it's been mentioned, even by the president himself, that Mexicans work the jobs that American's won't, but I really don't feel that's all of the picture. Why when American's are out of work, are these jobs not filled? Simple, the jobs don't pay a living wage that would attract a citizen. We need the cheap labor that Mexico provides to eliminate what would become price inflation in the battle to attract worker - and pay them a minimum wage.
You can keep sending money that you don't have to try to solve a problem that you can't actually fix as your base wants you to, so suddenly we're left with the status quo. Speaking of status quo, there's the Plan for Victory.
Needing to reach out beyond the dwindling base, Mr. Bush looks to end the war by staying the course. it seems that in this administration's vision, the war will only be won if we can bring the non-stop insurgency down, and allow Iraqi troops to take over, but then we may still have to stay in the area to make sure Iraq doesn't dissolve into civil war.
Apparently by not having a real, definable way to declare victory, suddenly Bush is trying to to appease the rising tide of people who want to bring the troops home, but it's clear that there will be no easy way to get out. This posturing satisfies no-one. The stay the course folks know the job isn't finished, and so do the ones who would be labeled the cut-and-run guys just a few days ago.
Still, even the administration seems to be starting to acknowledge that the war isn't producing the necessary results, and there needs to be a way out. It's not necessarily what will happen, but it's becoming clearer that a strategy is being readied, especially with the growing tension about America's use of torture, the reasons for going to war, oh, and did I mention that Iraq is still a mess?
These messages are delivered as usual in the same "campaigning" style that bush has been using since 2004. The message is tightly controlled in front of a room of supporters and with a background of soldiers, or policemen, or INS agents who sit there quietly, creating a television made background. Above it all, Bush supplies the slow with a simple slogan...Protecting American's Borders, or The Plan For Victory, or Trust Me floating above his grey hair. One wonders how much these campaign stops cost the American Taxpayer.
the problem is, the president really has no really good news to report, and has more than a difficult time reassuring the people that he's really at the rudder of this ship. Bush seems removed from reality and unable to actually admit misjudgments and errors. The ability to unite the country has never been there, and he seems to be floundering when he tries to regain lot ground.
Of course, Bush's party is looking for him to rebound to strengthen their races for 2006. Despite the Republican losses in the most recent election, some candidates are still looking for Bush to help their campaigns, like Colorado's congressperson Marilyn Musgrave who Bush praised for her work in trying to push the Marriage Protection Act last year. She's looking pretty shaky right now, but she, and the Republicans have a plan.
The plan? They are resurrecting the Marriage Protection Act in Congress. Certainly that will rally the faithful.
in the last week, President bush has introduced two new initiatives to the public in an attempt to pull up his sagging ratings. Both seem to be wild turns away from where the administration had been going. Still, a closer inspection seems to show that they are just re-packaging the same story in new packaging.
Bush's border strategy plays to the conservative crowd, and not necessarily the faith-based group. Conservatives have been calling for stricter border controls since 9/11, and before. Some of the issue is simply another rehash of the Homeland Security game, where airlines and subways were exposed as risks, now the possibility of terrorist crossing the border has finally gotten a look from this administration.
Of course the other concern is illegal aliens, of the normal kind. Bush has rarely pushed this issue, often seeming soft to many conservatives playing the wishes of Mexico president Vincente Fox. The real story isn't that we're going to go and hunt down Mexicans who've come here to find a living, it's the fact that a worker program is being offered up by the administration. Bush knows that there isn't enough money to actually place a hard cap on illegal immigration, and there's little chance of success in trying to round up illegals. The success rate would liken to that of the war on drugs...something that's surprisingly similar.
The real question would be, what happens to the economy of the United States when we try to push out those workers. I know it's been mentioned, even by the president himself, that Mexicans work the jobs that American's won't, but I really don't feel that's all of the picture. Why when American's are out of work, are these jobs not filled? Simple, the jobs don't pay a living wage that would attract a citizen. We need the cheap labor that Mexico provides to eliminate what would become price inflation in the battle to attract worker - and pay them a minimum wage.
You can keep sending money that you don't have to try to solve a problem that you can't actually fix as your base wants you to, so suddenly we're left with the status quo. Speaking of status quo, there's the Plan for Victory.
Needing to reach out beyond the dwindling base, Mr. Bush looks to end the war by staying the course. it seems that in this administration's vision, the war will only be won if we can bring the non-stop insurgency down, and allow Iraqi troops to take over, but then we may still have to stay in the area to make sure Iraq doesn't dissolve into civil war.
Apparently by not having a real, definable way to declare victory, suddenly Bush is trying to to appease the rising tide of people who want to bring the troops home, but it's clear that there will be no easy way to get out. This posturing satisfies no-one. The stay the course folks know the job isn't finished, and so do the ones who would be labeled the cut-and-run guys just a few days ago.
Still, even the administration seems to be starting to acknowledge that the war isn't producing the necessary results, and there needs to be a way out. It's not necessarily what will happen, but it's becoming clearer that a strategy is being readied, especially with the growing tension about America's use of torture, the reasons for going to war, oh, and did I mention that Iraq is still a mess?
These messages are delivered as usual in the same "campaigning" style that bush has been using since 2004. The message is tightly controlled in front of a room of supporters and with a background of soldiers, or policemen, or INS agents who sit there quietly, creating a television made background. Above it all, Bush supplies the slow with a simple slogan...Protecting American's Borders, or The Plan For Victory, or Trust Me floating above his grey hair. One wonders how much these campaign stops cost the American Taxpayer.
the problem is, the president really has no really good news to report, and has more than a difficult time reassuring the people that he's really at the rudder of this ship. Bush seems removed from reality and unable to actually admit misjudgments and errors. The ability to unite the country has never been there, and he seems to be floundering when he tries to regain lot ground.
Of course, Bush's party is looking for him to rebound to strengthen their races for 2006. Despite the Republican losses in the most recent election, some candidates are still looking for Bush to help their campaigns, like Colorado's congressperson Marilyn Musgrave who Bush praised for her work in trying to push the Marriage Protection Act last year. She's looking pretty shaky right now, but she, and the Republicans have a plan.
The plan? They are resurrecting the Marriage Protection Act in Congress. Certainly that will rally the faithful.