Bush Governs As If He Had a Resounding Mandate

News and Opinion for Democrats Against Bush -- Part I a

Bush Governs As If He Had a Resounding Mandate

"The conventional wisdom was that he had to move to the center to build a governing coalition and that he had to fulfill his promises to be a compassionate conservative and to have America act as a humble superpower." --Newsday.com

"President Bush took office with no perceptible mandate for radical change in foreign policy. Yet, immediately upon assuming the presidential mantle, he set about reversing nearly every major foreign policy initiative that carried the Clinton imprint. " --Washington Post

Newsday.com

Incurious George: Bush's Weaknesses Are Beginning to Show

October 12, 2003

The complete article may be purchased online from the Newsday archives at-- http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/422755151.html?did=422755151&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Oct+12,+2003&author=&desc=Incurious+George+%2f+Bush%27s+Weaknesses+Are+Beginning+to+Show

Quote

Almost three years into the presidency of George W. Bush the startling political reality is that, although he was elected by the slimmest of margins and lost the popular vote by more than 500,000 votes, he has governed as if he had a resounding mandate.

The conventional wisdom was that he had to move to the center to build a governing coalition and that he had to fulfill his promises to be a compassionate conservative and to have America act as a humble superpower.

Instead Bush has followed a steady right-wing course ...

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/ny-vpuno123491049oct12,0,7275779.story?

washingtonpost.com

Get Foreign Policy Back On Course

By Warren Christopher

Thursday, November 27, 2003; Page A43

The complete article is currently (4/7/04) available on the Washington Post website at-- http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A16771-2003Nov26?language=printer [found through a Google search by article title, via a link on the Clark for President website at http://www.forclark.com/comments/2003/11/27/15512/963/19/post]

Excerpt--

... Under normal circumstances, a change of party controlling the White House does not produce a turnabout in the nation's foreign policy. While new administrations may make minor course corrections, especially on specific issues raised in the campaign, they typically discover that they agree more than disagree with their predecessors' foreign policy goals and approaches.

In the case of the current administration, however, fundamental departures from existing foreign policy have been the norm from the outset. President Bush took office with no perceptible mandate for radical change in foreign policy. Yet, immediately upon assuming the presidential mantle, he set about reversing nearly every major foreign policy initiative that carried the Clinton imprint. ...

In sum, the United States launched a preemptive war without convincing evidence that Iraq constituted an imminent threat to our nation and without any effective plan for dealing with the aftermath of a military victory. ...

The writer was secretary of state from 1993 to 1997. He is co-chairman of the Pacific Council on International Policy.

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