Future Unpopular Acts in Bush's Second Term

[richlevy]

Ok, let's assume that Bush wins a second term. Since he no longer has to run for re-election, the gloves come off. What do you think his most controversial acts will be if Bush wins a second term?

I'll start.

1) Pardon Kenneth Lay - The government is still trying to build a case. If they do, then it will be years until the trial is over. If Lay is convicted during Bush's second term, look for a pardon in the months before Bush leaves office.

[elSicomoro]

--Some limitation of abortion
--Prayer in schools
--A Constitutional amendment banning gay marriages
--Completion of the missile defense system

[wolf]

I fear that deal making for some other bill (like on abortion) will result in extending and expanding the assault weapons ban. But that would occur on this term ... Yeah, I'm personalizing. So what?

[Beestie]

I'm not sure how controversial it would be but I am hoping for some tort reform at least in the area of medical malpractice. There has to be some kind of check and balance installed that penalizes trivial lawsuits and caps punitive damages. Personally, I think punitive damages should bypass the plaintiff and the fee split and go directly to a victim compensation fund. That alone would curb a lot of abuse. Senseless lawsuits, obscene "I just won the lottery because my bed pan wasn't changed often enough" awards together with the cost of malpractice insurance premiums are ruining our health care system.

But, to get back on topic, here are some controversial things Bush might do if re-elected:

• Fire George Tenet
• Beat up George Tenant
• Appoint John Kerry US ambassador to Iraq.
• Allow John Ashcroft to come to work wearing nothing but a white robe, a bishop's hat and a staff.
• Unpardon all of Clinton's last second pardons, then repardon them then unpardon them again just to screw with them.
• Sell the naming rights to the White House and keep the money.
• Invade Cuba and arrest Castro for his ties to Iran.
• Classify Al Franken as an enemy combatent and send him to Guantanamo for a couple years.

[Undertoad]

I doubt it on the abortion front. I believe the official administration position is that society is not "ready" for an abortion ban. More importantly, actual movement on this issue would motivate the opposition like nothing else, and this is what they hope to avoid in order to keep this a 50-50 nation.

The correct formula for politicians in the modern era: make noise that will please your base and get them to give you money, but don't actually DO anything, because this will cause people to give your opponent money.

[russotto]

Yep. Same goes for the Assault Weapon Ban. If it gets renewed, it won't be part of a Bush deal because he'd lose more than he gains. Instead, it'll be one of those middle-of-the-night riders stuck onto some unrelated bill.

Instead, Bush's second term will consist mostly of more assaults on civil liberty, more bones thrown to the old people, more national mandates on education, and a lot of contradictory motion on immigration and tariffs. (on the latter, he'll institute tarriffs to placate labor, only to remove them when the Court of International Trade rules against them, placating importers and leaving the Court of International Trade as the bad guys)

[xoxoxoBruce]

Appoint Jeb to some job that will give him more national prominence. After he delivers Florida again, of course.

[lumberjim]

I think he'll be caught giving oral to a whitehouse intern.

....but he'll destroy the blue suit that has the DNA on it.
but, i'm big on symmetry, so i might just be making that up

[slang]

Originally posted by Undertoad
....... but don't actually DO anything, because this will cause people to give your opponent money.

Just the modern era? Dems have been using this technique for 40 years. Elect us and we'll fix.....racism, poverty, corruption, etc,etc.

[headsplice]

I'm pretty sure he'll set up a national ID system. Unfortunately for us citizens, it won't be an ID card. The ID will be a small suppository radio trasmitter that is activated at will by the police applying a mild electric charge to the buttocks (mild electric charge == tazer).
ZZZzzzaaappp!

[tw]

Originally posted by headsplice
I'm pretty sure he'll set up a national ID system. Unfortunately for us citizens, it won't be an ID card. The ID will be a small suppository radio trasmitter that is activated at will by the police applying a mild electric charge to the buttocks (mild electric charge == tazer).
ZZZzzzaaappp!

RFID as discussed in another thread. Patriot Act III - straight out of a Nazi in a WWII movie: "Where are your papers?" But then Nazis also were only extremists running a government. Another political party that also saw enemies everywhere; blamed minorities for their problems; drove scientists out of the country using political agendas; and as a result created those enemies.

[mrnoodle]

Originally posted by Beestie

• Fire George Tenet
• Beat up George Tenant
• Appoint John Kerry US ambassador to Iraq.
• Allow John Ashcroft to come to work wearing nothing but a white robe, a bishop's hat and a staff.
• Unpardon all of Clinton's last second pardons, then repardon them then unpardon them again just to screw with them.
• Sell the naming rights to the White House and keep the money.
• Invade Cuba and arrest Castro for his ties to Iran.
• Classify Al Franken as an enemy combatent and send him to Guantanamo for a couple years.

Stop it. You're giving me a woody.

By the way, did anyone know that both the assault weapons ban and the Brady Bill sunset this year? (crosses fingers....come on George, you can do it...).

Seriously, though, I don't see Bush doing anything that will jeopardize our chances at keeping the white house in 2008. That's when we'll have to worry about Hillary anyway, and we need to make sure we don't come across as too right wing. Sad but true. If by chance this year is a republican knock-out punch - say Kerry gets caught with a transvestite hooker or something - then all bets are off. Fair or not, another scandal on the left would gut the democratic party.

[Archer]

"Where are your papers?" But then Nazis also were only extremists running a government.

First they came for the communists,
and I did not speak out
because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the socialists,
and I did not speak out
because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.
-Martin Niemoller

[Troubleshooter]

Originally posted by headsplice
(mild electric charge == tazer).
ZZZzzzaaappp!

A quick tangent...

The Taser goes civilian in July with an entry model at $399.

Time to play light up the bad guys.

[richlevy]

Originally posted by Archer


First they came for the communists,
and I did not speak out
because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the socialists,
and I did not speak out
because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.
-Martin Niemoller

I've been thinking about Niemoller more and more lately. If you think about it, the early Nazi campaign might have appealed to certain conservative elements. After all, Berlin in the 1930's had a lot of freewheeling sex. At first, it probably seemed like a nice 'clean up' campaign.

We Americans do not understand a lot of the history of the Holocaust, and that the death camps, gas chambers, and ovens did not get thrown up overnight. They were the end of a long road that began by a group coming into power and taking care of various 'problem elements' who did not have much popular support.

They made us Jews wear yellow stars and homosexuals wear pink triangles. I don't know if the Gypsies, politcial prisoners like Niemoller, or ethnic Poles had their own symbols.

Niemoller started out as a sympathizer with the Nazis, but later, as he watched where they were going, had an attack of conscience and spoke out against them, for which he was imprisoned.

I find his story hopeful and terrifying at the same time. It shows that people can reach into themselves and find the courage to go against what they initially supported when they realize where it will lead. On the other hand, his obervation about the majority who supported the Nazis or looke the other way terrifies me. After all, ethnic Japanese in this country went into detention camps as a security measure, something we did not consider doing to any other ethnic group whose homeland we were at war with.

I'd really like to see a History Channel program on his life. It's the right time for it.