Bush Seeks Increase in Arts Funding

[Judi Lynn]

Bush Seeks Increase in Arts Funding

Thursday January 29, 2004 10:46 PM


By JENNIFER C. KERR

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Thursday proposed the largest funding increase in two decades for the National Endowment for the Arts, an agency that once was a favorite target of Republicans.

One Republican convert, Rep. Cass Ballenger of North Carolina, said the NEA has made a special effort to reach out to its critics and fund less controversial works of art. Other conservatives say they still plan to fight any increase for the agency.

First lady Laura Bush made Thursday's announcement, saying the president would ask Congress next week for an $18 million increase for the NEA, a 15 percent hike over last year.

The GOP-controlled Congress increased the agency's funding to $122.5 million last year, up from $115.7 million. That's still well below the $175 million it received in 1992.
(snip/...)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3685558,00.html

[wryter2000]

1. Wha???

Is he trying to alienate his base?

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MaineDem]

12. Never mind

I can't reply to this without being offensive.

[ogminlo]

2. I don't get it

Why piss off your core voters in a futile attmept to pander to the (now non-existant) center? There is no center now. Bush polarized the country. This will only hurt him.

But good for the arts.

[aquart]

6. Read it again. Republican control of the arts is bland spam.

Safe. Very safe. Nothing original. Nothing controversial.

[mopinko]

3. bush promising extra funding

is the kiss of death. first you get a photo op, then you get the knife.

[DiverDave]

4. Yeah right

:eyes:

Like "No Chid Left Behind", and money for AIDS in Africa.

When he announced the space funding, I said..."From WHERE"?

[Merusault]

5. The base is slowly eroding

I was listening to the local conservative radio show in New Orleans today, and one of the callers mentioned this. He said he is seriously considering not going to the polls this November. If they're trying to get the 4 million evangelicals who stayed home last time to vote this November they don't have a prayer (bad pun).

The hardcore conservative guy on "tough Crowd with colin quinn" also said he won't be voting for bush this year cause of the immigration issue.

[Boat Guy]

7. I Don't Care How Much He Proposes --

-- to add to the NEA budget --

I'M STILL NOT VOTIN' FOR HIM!

[IowaBiker]

9. I know what he's up to ...

He can't get enough of those portraits of the kids with really big eyes.

--Brian

[havocmom]

11. Wants a national gallery he can donate his crayon drawings to and get

a tax break.

[Hayduke]

10. Rush slams bush....

The conservative base is pissed!

From the rush website:

I can only explain what I think is happening. I can't explain why the White House thinks their strategy is working when it's clearly not. Bush 41 didn't have a strategy, as one caller mentioned when comparing the two presidents. Bush 43 does - and I'm sad to say it's taken the shape of outspending Bill Clinton on the domestic side. This immigration bill and the $400 billion (Now $540b) Medicare entitlement makes conservative voters feel taken for granted.

The Big Theory, softening people's view of conservatism by making Americans work more for government and less for themselves, isn't working. How can it? If you act like a liberal to get Democrat votes, you can't do something conservative when you win without losing those new voters. Bush requested $15 billion to fight AIDS in Africa and let Ted Kennedy write an education bill that spent more on "the children" than ever, and they still rip him to shreds on those issues. You know, Republicans told us that we needed to give them control of the House, Senate and White House to get something done, but all of this makes me believe in divided government more than ever.

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_012904/content/the_big_theory.guest.html