The Nanny in Chief - Sullivan's TIME oped

[question everything]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040202-582330,00.html

(snip)

When your individual choices conflict with what the Bush people think is good for you, they have been only too happy to intervene. The government, Bush clearly believes, has a right to be involved in many personal decisions you make — punishing some, encouraging others, nudging and prodding the public to live the good life as the President understands it. The nanny state, much loved by Democrats, is thriving under Republicans.

(snip)

The President is proud of his Big Government moralism. As he put it in his first State of the Union message, "Values are important, so we have tripled funding for character education to teach our children not only reading and writing, but right from wrong." Sounds inoffensive enough. But who exactly determines what is right and what is wrong? Churches? Synagogues? Parents? Teachers? Nah. The Federal Government.

(snip)

States' rights? Only if the states do what the President believes in. How else to explain the vast expansion of federal power that the Partial Birth Abortion Act entailed, limiting the rights of states to regulate abortion as they see fit?

(snip)

Want to lose weight using ephedra? You can't. Bush's FDA has banned the over-the-counter supplement. Steroids? You heard the Nanny in Chief. And if you're a scientist researching a touchy subject, be prepared to feel the breath of Big Government down the back of your white coat.

(snip)

He is fusing Big Government liberalism with religious-right moralism. It's the nanny state with more cash. Your cash, that is. And their morals.

[fizzana]

1. What's up with Andrew Sullivan

Is he beginning to see the light.

This is from his blog

BUSH IS IN DEEP TROUBLE: I'd say something else. The huge turn-out in New Hampshire; the electability factor for Kerry; the passion of the Dean people: all this shows how thoroughly energized the Democrats are to win back the White House. Bush is in the Rove-Cheney cocoon right now. From the SOTU, it looks like he's going to run on 9/11. Bad, backward-looking idea. His coalition is fracturing; his reach out to Hispanics seems to have hurt him more with the base than won him new votes; his spending has independents deeply concerned; Iraq is still a wild card; prescription drugs pandering hasn't swayed any seniors; the religious right wants him to attack gay couples in the Constitution - which will lose him the center. More worrying: I'm not sure he even knows he's in trouble.

[cosmicdot]

2. Well, dear Sully ... guess what ...

thanks, Andrew, for helping * along (sarcasm)

I'm sure this Nanny State has helped you in some way or another since you expatriated the UK. Your patronizing the Ashcroft crowd brought in the moralism ... so, oddly enough, you helped to grease the skids.

[WingNOT]

5. You're welcome to keep Sully ...not sure if you want him either tho'!! eom

nt

[The Zanti Regent]

3. Well, Andy still shows his love for ol' sock in a jock!

Now, how will Li'l Orphan Andy spin that anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment??????????

[question everything]

4. I think that you guys missed the point

Sullivan is gay and this is what caused his anger at Bush, for doing what Republicans, since Reagan, love to do - get their nose into others' bedrooms, etc.

[The Zanti Regent]

6. Do you read his crap?

Li'l Orphan Andy says the Republican Party is the NATURAL home for gays and lesbians...

...even if the other folks in the Republican Party like to belittle, insult and beat them!

Spin that, Andy!