Tuesday April 24 4:45 PM ET
Bush Proves to Be Focused, Tough on Capitol Hill

By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As George W. Bush nears his 100th day as U.S. president, the former Texas governor with an engaging smile has shown on Capitol Hill to be conservative, focused and tough.

After initially preaching bipartisanship in the sharply divided Congress, Bush has blazed his own trail -- winning Republican praise, Democratic scorn and public approval.

This self-described ``compassionate conservative'' has rolled back environmental and workplace protections, pushed what seems certain to become the biggest tax cut in a generation, proposed a slowdown in the growth of federal spending and helped move a popular drive to upgrade the nation's schools.

``I have to laugh when people say they are surprised what he has done,'' said Bruce Josten, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Congress and a veteran congressional lobbyist. ''Who do they think they elected? George W. Bush is a conservative.''

Ethan Siegal of the Washington Exchange, a private group that tracks politics and legislation on Capitol Hill for institutional investors, said, ``Here's the bottom line: He has controlled the agenda, controlled the press and the public views him favorably.''

Bush Approval Rating High

An ABC-Washington Post survey released on Monday put Bush's approval rating at 63 percent.

Said Siegal, ``If Bush were to get a majority of his (proposed $1.6 trillion) tax cut and education reform -- which I think he will -- and the economy straightens out, that would be more than enough for a successful first year in office.''

That would also help position Republicans for the 2002 congressional elections.

Jim Pfiffner of the Center for the Study of the Presidency, said, ``Other presidents may have had more legislative victories in their first 100 days, but Bush has proved to be very effective -- given the circumstances.''

The circumstances are a closely divided House of Representatives and an unprecedented split in the Senate, 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats.

Thus far, with those numbers, Bush has been unable to sign a major piece of legislation. But that may soon change.

Congress seems to be on track to send Bush for his signature this summer an across-the-board tax cut of at least $1.2 trillion.

Bush is still pushing Congress to raise the figure to $1.6 trillion, but the lower number would still represent the biggest tax cut in two decades.

``That would be a huge victory for the president,'' said Kim Wallace, chief political analyst at Lehman Brothers.

It is unclear how many other ``huge victories'' Bush will have with his legislative agenda this year or even next.

The House and Senate are expected to give Bush requested legislation to bolster the nation's schools, another of his top priorities.

Congress may also sign off on much of a pending national energy policy. But it appears it will block Bush's bid to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for oil drilling.

Drug Benefit Plan Doubtful

It also seems doubtful Congress will agree on legislation any time soon to provide a prescription drug benefit under Medicare or establish a patients' bill of rights.

Also on the back burner, thanks largely to problems on Wall Street, is Bush's once highly touted plan to partially privatize Social Security by allowing people to invest a portion of their payroll taxes in the stock markets.

Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota gave Bush a mixed review this week for his first 100 days in office, which the president will mark on Monday by hosting a lunch for all members of Congress.

``I would give him an 'A-plus' for his first 30 days, a 'B-plus' for his second 30 days, and a 'C-minus' for his third 30 days,'' Daschle said.

``He started out, I think, impressing everybody and his outreach was admirable,'' Daschle said.

But, Daschle said, Bush quickly ended the outreach, particularly when he moved to ram through Congress his proposed tax cut and budget.

``He wanted confrontational politics,'' Daschle said. ``This from a candidate who said he was 'a uniter not a divider.'''

Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, said, ``I think he has done a great job of staying focused on what is important -- reducing the tax burden and improving the quality of education.''

``If George Bush can cut tax and fix education, as far as I'm concerned, he can go hang out for awhile at this ranch in Crawford, Texas,'' Santorum said.

Bush Promised Bipartisanship

Bush took office on Jan. 20, a month after the U.S. Supreme Court effectively made him the winner of the White House race by refusing to grant Democrat Al Gore a hand count of thousands of disputed ballots in Florida, which Bush took by 537 votes.

About an hour after being sworn in, Bush said: ``Expectation in the country is we can't get anything done. People say, 'Well gosh, the election was close, nothing will happen.'

``I'm here to tell the country that things will get done, that we're going to rise above expectations, that both Republicans and Democrats will come together to do what is right for America,'' Bush said.

Democratic leaders have said Congress' top priority should be improving the nation's electoral system, which the 2000 election indicated, is laced with faulty machines.

On April 4, House Democrats wrote Bush a letter asking him to spell out his principles for reforming the election system.

On Tuesday, as Democrats still awaited a response, analyst Siegal said, ``Clearly election reform is not a Bush priority.''

-- Aint's (friendly@letter.carrier), April 24, 2001

Answers

"the former Texas governor with an engaging smile has shown on Capitol Hill to be conservative, focused and tough."

All hail the Maximum Leader! We are not worthy of one such as he!

Who can compare to our Maximum Leader? He has an "engaging smile!" In strength he is as twelve oxen! In wisdom, he is as a multitude of Dick Cheneys. In piety, he is as an enclave of rabbis. In beauty, he is as a perfect bull with garlands on his shapely horns. His teeth are like the pickets before the gate of Heaven! His snoot is aquiline! His tan is even! His pedigree is better than a AKC dog!

We should kneel, no, prostrate ourselves before his perfect begninity. We should call him Uncle Joe Stalin, keeper of the Motherland from Harm.

All hail! Hail! Hail him that we adore!

-- Little Nipper (canis@minor.net), April 24, 2001.

CM:

You have to stop this. I was going to sleep and then I read your response. Now I can't stop laughing. You have ruined my rest. Stop, I say!!!!!

Cheers,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), April 24, 2001.

Naw, Z, you have to wait and see what he does with the Air Force One sex films thread.

-- Aint's (usual waiter@Four.Seasons), April 24, 2001.

-- (the @ missing. link), April 25, 2001.

Little Nipper - the weakest link

-- is Z (actually@Dennis.Olsen?), April 25, 2001.

It's Olson, you stupid asshole.

-- Manny's (dry@clean.er), April 25, 2001.