Bush Advises Republican Party to Be 'Compassionate'

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Source: Washington Post

President Bush called for a "compassionate" Republican Party and warned against the GOP becoming "anti-immigrant" in one of his last interviews as president, defending his vision of the party that has become unpopular among some Republicans.

"It's very important for our party not to narrow its focus, not to become so inward looking that we drive people away from a philosophy that is compassionate and decent," the president said in an interview on "Fox News Sunday" that was aired today. "We shouldn't have litmus tests as to whether or not you can be a Republican. And we should be open-minded about big issues like immigration reform, because if we're viewed as anti-somebody -- in other words, if the party is viewed as anti-immigrant -- then another fellow may say, well, if they're against the immigrant, they may be against me."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

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Excuse me while I barf.


He's trying to go out as an elder statesman. The f*ck hasn't been "compassionate" in his whole political career, except when he's trying to convince us of something.

[LeftishBrit]

1. And the next headline will be

"Godfather Advises Mafia to be Compassionate".

[goforit]

10. Lets see how loyal they all choose to be. Being loyal flushed them down the toilet

[Deja Q]

2. I thought they had been compassionate the last 8 years?

The "Compassionate conservatism"?

[bluestateguy]

3. Blue jays with gills and green zebras: There is no such thing as a compassionate conservative

Compassionate conservatism is like being a "little pregnant".

[bluesmail]

4. Who'd be stupid enough to take advice from him? n/t

[sakabatou]

5. Compassionate

Like that woman you teased on the way to her death, right, *?

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

6. Did anyone read the thread about this on the Freep site? They just about crucify him!

Hilarious stuff.

[Baby Snooks]

8. I know I'm dumb...

What is the Freep Site?

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

9. You are not dumb, just ignorant of the freep site.

Consider yourself lucky. It's Freerepublic.com, they went crazy with this story today, I enjoyed it. They have had their collective heads shoved up *'s ass for the last 8 years, now they pull out and declare * is a Democrat in disguise. 8 years of posting crap supporting this Administration, Now they wake up and see reality? Really? LOL.

[polly7]

7. WTH did he even hear that word and why does seeing him use it trigger the gag reflex? n/t

[Cronopio]

11. Unlike 2000, now the world knows what GW Bush's definition of "compassionate" is. nt

[sutz12]

12. They are pretty compassionate...

if you make millions and donate thousands.

[Swagman]

13. but they are compassionate !....to the wealthy 5%, drug companies

armanents manufacturers etc etc

[Quantess]

14. Americans are supposed to be "compassionate" and give our jobs to people in other countries,

for example.

[John Q. Citizen]

15. Do as I say, not as I do...

[Lithos]

16. Why? He is one of the main reasons that has become prevalent

His "Compassionate Conservatism" was just another wink and nod while the other hand was doing exactly the opposite.

[quidam56]

17. Fake Noise be compassionate,

your fearless leader has spoken...... http://www.wisecountyissues.com

[caseymoz]

18. And they say, "Have you packed yet?"

"It's very important for our party not to narrow its focus, not to become so inward looking that we drive people away from a philosophy that is compassionate and decent."

If this had come from another prominent conservative, it would be a world-shaking admission that the conservative ideology at its core is repulsive and has to be tempered by extra "compassion." Otherwise, it could alienate people for being anti-social, some would even say sociopathic.

Bush said it, though, so it is dismissed as just another stupid statement. Like Republicans and especially Conservatives have any reason to listen to his vapid, stammering malaprops anymore? It is not like they owe him for their continuing success. Bush has screwed them almost as much as he has screwed the rest of the country.

Among everything else, in his last days, Bush has still not learned to say anything profound. He has left his party with nothing quotable. He said so much more than Calvin Coolidge, and all of it is junk. Now he will leave the GOP with no words of inspiration to edify conservatives in their hopeless attempts to rebuild their shattered hopes and agenda. The Bush presidency is the black hole in which conservatives and probably the whole GOP party will disappear.

The implication of his advise is even more shocking: they should be more humane because. . . it will gain them recruits. Of course, Bush doesn't understand this, but he knows he's advising people who could only be persuaded to be compassionate if it gains them power. By recruiting more members. He doesn't think ahead to advise them on what to do when those recruits find out the compassion is just a front.

I find one thing most remarkable about Bush's statement, and I wonder if anyone noticed? He said the very same thing coming into office. He had the very same, and accurate criticism of Conservatism, and advocated more compassion, calling himself a "compassionate conservative." His observation was dead accurate: Conservatives weren't compassionate. Over the course of eight years his simple thought on that subject went nowhere else. His mind is actually more sluggish than a sloth in a coma.

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19. I don't know what will become of the Republican party

I assume it will live on, after a fashion.

The original Republican values were laudable, but somewhere along the line - I think starting with Reagan - it started taking a hard turn to the right, and I really think it was the incursion of the religious fundies that did it, and for some reason the GOP pandered to them. They're easy, they're easy to appeal to, they're easy to rile up, so it was sort of a match made in heaven, except that matches blow out, given enough hot air (if you will allow me to mangle my analogies).

Whereas the party might have managed for decades upon decades more, Bush & co. seem to have nearly single-handedly driven it into the ground.

Nature abhors a vaccuum, so something will rise in its place. What that something is, I couldn't say. Expect it to be a new GOP, maybe a little shiftier, if that's a possibility, and smarter in a scary sort of way.

[Bandit]

20. Republicans waterboard with Compassion

Listen to the wind blow..

[KamaAina]

21. Warned against the repuke party *becoming* anti-immigrant?

As opposed to what? The diverse melting pot that it is today?

edit: spelling