A Healthy Effect
As John Podhoretz points out,there is good that may come even from the unconscionable (and legally indecipherable) decision of a Detroit judge that the NSA wiretapping program is unconstitutional.
Certainly, the Democrats' reaction to it will be instructive. Do they agree that having the capacity to eavesdrop on people who are in contact with known terrorists outside US borders is a misuse of power? Or is it, as the judge argued (it's too kind to call this legal mish-mash a decision), a violation of the First and Fourth Amendments? (As Patterico has noted, this Carter-appointed judge is willing to bend the rules in order to get the opportunity to rule on important and/or controversial cases -- just one more part of the glorious Carter legacy).
Let's hear what the Dems have to say -- and how they plan to protect us should they take one of the branches of Congress. After all, as Daniel Henninger points out, at the moment, it seems that the Democrats are stuck in a 9/10/01 mode, seeking reactive rather than proactive measures for fighting terror.
Certainly, the Democrats' reaction to it will be instructive. Do they agree that having the capacity to eavesdrop on people who are in contact with known terrorists outside US borders is a misuse of power? Or is it, as the judge argued (it's too kind to call this legal mish-mash a decision), a violation of the First and Fourth Amendments? (As Patterico has noted, this Carter-appointed judge is willing to bend the rules in order to get the opportunity to rule on important and/or controversial cases -- just one more part of the glorious Carter legacy).
Let's hear what the Dems have to say -- and how they plan to protect us should they take one of the branches of Congress. After all, as Daniel Henninger points out, at the moment, it seems that the Democrats are stuck in a 9/10/01 mode, seeking reactive rather than proactive measures for fighting terror.
posted by LadybugUSA at 3:42 AM
5 Comments:
I think it will ultimately help voters see that they can't risk putting in more liberal Democrats who are really communists bent on destroying America as we know it.
Cliff,
what odds you giving?
Of the first 43, I'd agree with Cliff. If I live to 100, and every prez gets two terms, that's only another seven, but they could all be gems. But at this point, George is top 50 percentile for sure and probably top ten.
skribe,
Can you list 10 better with a brief explanation?
Come on, MA, tell us in which areas Bush is in the top ten and why. Economics? Homeland security? Foreign policy?
And Cliff, I'm still waiting for those odds.
skribe,
I support tax cuts in almost any case as it is proven in stimulating the economy and raising tax revenues as a result. Tax hikes, on the other hand, stifle economic growth. Bush supports this notion and we've benefitted as a result. The numbers still say the economy is in good shape, and though some would whine because they aren't personally in the black, it's no one's reponsibility but the individual's in such cases. But when you consider 9/11 and Katrina, we're still rolling along economically as a nation. How many presidents had a war and an act of God to overcome?
Though one can debate the extent to which Homeland Security has succeeded, the major indicator of not having been attacked since 9/11 speaks to some level of success. Of course the border issue is a problem, and I won't deny it because I don't drink any kool-aid. But five years ago, few would put money on the suggestion that in five years we wouldn't suffer another attack. That's significant.
Foreign policy is a task yet completed. But our actions in Afghanistan and Iraq have had positive effects in other countries such as Lybia and Egypt. Too much handwringing by the left regarding world opinion indicates the left's preference for looking good over doing good. Doing the right thing rarely goes over with everyone, so I don't expect that it will on a planetary level. Tough. I think that when it is all said and done, particularly if the left cuts the crap and gets with the program, if we stay the course and continue to do what needs to be done as regards the scumbags we face today, history will look kindly on Bush's foreign policy. But then I guess it depends who's writng the book.
I would also submit that of the 42 other choices, how many had terms of any note? Bush almost makes the top ten by default. So who are YOUR top ten, and why? (briefly)
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