TIME: Bush's five point plan to 'rescue' his presidency

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

TIME Magazine's Mike Allen outlines a "five-point plan" posited by President Bush's new chief of staff Josh Bolten to "rescue" the Bush presidency in magazines to hit newsstands Monday.

The five key points include:

1) "Deploy guns and badges" -- to play to the conservative base on illegal immigration, using the cloak of Homeland Security.

2) Make Wall Street happy through tax cuts.

3) Brag more ("highlight the glimmer of success in Iraq").

4) Reclaim security by playing tough with Iran (On Iran, "Democrats will lose").

5) Court the press (pffer Tony Snow of Fox News the job of White House press secretary)

Read the full article here. Excerpts follow.

Deploy Guns and Badges

Under the banner of homeland security, the White House plans to seek more funding for an extremely visible enforcement crackdown at the Mexican border.

Make Wall Street Happy

In an effort to curry favor with dispirited Bush backers in the investment world, the Administration will focus on two tax measures already in the legislative pipeline to please investors.

Brag More

White House officials.... are planning a more focused and consistent effort to talk about the Medicare program's successes after months of press reports on start-up difficulties... and highlight any glimmer of success in Iraq....

Reclaim Security Credibility

Presidential advisers believe that by putting pressure on Iran, Bush may be able to rehabilitate himself on national security, a core strength that has been compromised by a discouraging outlook in Iraq.

Court The Press

Administration officials said (new White House chief of staff Josh Bolten) believes the White House can work more astutely with journalists to make its case to the public.... His first move... was to offer the press secretary job to Tony Snow of Fox News... who served George H.W. Bush as speechwriting director.

[trisha]

1. Bush's five point plan to 'rescue' his presidency

Very interesting .

[mconvente]

2. More like Bush's five point plan to destroy America n/t

[Kierkegaard]

3. Sounds remarkably like 'business as usual.'

Catapultin' that propaganda...

[wryter2000]

5. No kidding

It hasn't worked for him since...oh, I don't know...the fall of 2004.

[chieftain]

4. Neck deep in the Big Muddy and the big fool said push on.

The extremely bad news from the report is that these miscreants believe that a hard line on Iran is good politics. The only question is how violent their approach becomes.

[Poiuyt]

9. Great song

[chieftain]

11. It is. I remember the outcry when it was sung on the Smothers

Brothers Show. Different war, same stupidity.

[Oversea Visitor]

6. Looks more like 5 reason why bush should be sack

:rofl:

[driver8]

7. I thought his plan was "lie, lie, lie, lie, lie some more..." n/t

[Neil Lisst]

8. in other words, more undeserved self-aggrandizement

[Poiuyt]

10. When I first read this, I thought it was from The Onion

It seemed like a joke

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

14. The full Time article is much, much worse.

I encourage everyone to go to the link and read it while it's "free" to non-subscribers.

It takes it up a couple of notches beyond the Raw Story excerpts.

EXAMPLE:

1 DEPLOY GUNS AND BADGES. This is an unabashed play to members of the conservative base who are worried about illegal immigration. Under the banner of homeland security, the White House plans to seek more funding for an extremely visible enforcement crackdown at the Mexican border, including a beefed-up force of agents patrolling on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). "It'll be more guys with guns and badges," said a proponent of the plan. "Think of the visuals. The President can go down and meet with the new recruits. He can go down to the border and meet with a bunch of guys and go ride around on an ATV." Bush has long insisted he wants a guest-worker program paired with stricter border enforcement, but House Republicans have balked at temporary legalization for immigrants, so the President's ambition of using the issue to make the party more welcoming to Hispanics may have to wait.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1186555-3,00.html

[riderinthestorm]

12. I thought this was an Onion joke piece too, at first

I actually think it's funny how they want to ignore the elephants in the room (the problems REAL people are thinking about)

1. Price of gas. Once it hits $4/gal, this Admin won't be able to control what the public is talking about at all since it will be all about summer vacation plans spoiled, the high price for propane and food for the grill etc.

2. The Iraq situation isn't going to get better. Their delusional thinking that they can just ignore the casualties and injuries, and the daily drumming of bad news is just bizarre. And the public is catching on. I really, really hope we have another August full of Cindy Sheehan at Camp Casey in Crawford. Bring it on.

3. Their grotesque misreading of public sentiment on Iran is another issue that they will pay dearly for. Who the hell are they talking to, that believes this is a good idea? Talk about "in the bubble".

Ya know, go Josh Bolten. Seriously, I think if he really is going to pursue these five points, it will only mean more Dem voters in November.

And Tony Snow??!! Who can listen to that guy's voice?? It's got such an annoying edge!

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

15. "...another August full of Cindy..."

:patriot:

[LevelB]

13. I'm not buying this..

What about putting anti-gay measures on state ballots?

What about race-baiting?

What about flag burning?

What about "Democrats will steal your guns?"

And of course, abortion. Some states are already passing or debating bills that will fail - after the mid-term elections.


No election would be complete without these well-tested issues. At best, the Time article is shockingly incomplete.

B.

[Skittles]

17. doesn't mention vote fraud either, their trump card

this must be the santized version

[Mz Pip]

16. I seriously doubt

the American people have much desire to start another war in Iran.

Fool me once...

Mz Pip
:dem:

[LUHiWY]

19. Never?

Never...I mean NEVER...overestimate the American people......

[opihimoimoi]

18. The Fool is hard aground on a jagged reef and he yells..Full AHEAD