Faux Codpiece

by digby

The “liberal” makeover of Bush continues apace. Calling All Wingnuts catches Rush saying:

“I have never been under any illusion that George Bush is Ronald Reagan. Reagan, with every speech that he gave … was also leading the conservative movement. He was defining it and people rallied to that. When you listen to Bush … he’s who he is, he does not look at himself as leading a movement, he has a job as president and he’s not governed by any conservative movement.”

Now, Ronald Reagan raised taxes, he negotiated with terrorists — he even negotiated with Democrats! Government grew under his watch and he even defied the hardline conservatives by seeking out Gorbachev. (Limbaugh himself was so outraged he derisively called the ensuing media love fest a “gorbasm.”)

One could make any number of arguments saying Reagan was not leading a true conservative movement any more than Bush is. But there is one big difference between the two. Reagan was popular and Bush isn’t. When Bush’s approval rating was in the 60’s, you couldn’t find a conservative who didn’t revere him as William F. Buckley’s wet dream. He was the uber-conservative. Now that he’s down in the 30% approval area, not so much.

According to Rush Limbaugh, George W. Bush has never been a leader of the conservative movement. I guess that means he isn’t a leader of the movement that believes:

* We are confident in our principles and energetic about openly advancing them. We believe in individual liberty, limited government, capitalism, the rule of law, faith, a color-blind society and national security.

* We support school choice, enterprise zones, tax cuts, welfare reform, faith-based initiatives, political speech, homeowner rights and the war on terrorism.

* And at our core we embrace and celebrate the most magnificent governing document ever ratified by any nation — the U.S. Constitution.

* Along with the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes our God-given natural right to be free, it is the foundation on which our government is built and has enabled us to flourish as a people.

* We conservatives are never stronger than when we are advancing our principles.

From American Conservatism: A Crackdown, Not a ‘Crackup’ Wall Street Journal op-ed October 17, 2005

Yes indeed, George W. Bush must be a liberal. Otherwise he would be “defining conservatism and people would rally to it” like St Ronnie did — or Rush himself in that piece. Republican losers are always eventually revealed as liberal sheep in conservative clothing. How could it be otherwise? Conservatism cannot lose. It is perfect.

Of course, if Bush decides to nuke Iran, they might reconsider. For a while. There’s nothing like a good bloodbath to bring true believers back into the fold.

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