What Does Conservative Mean?

[Don1]

I am in the midst of doing some research and I came across the American Conservative Union's congressional score cards for congresspersons. The ACU had a list of 25 stances on congressional bills in 2006 that I viewed. Here is the list:

1. Campaign Finance Restrictions
HR 513 (Roll Call 88) The House passed a bill imposing the same restrictions on grass-roots organizations as apply to political parties and political action committees, and permitting the Federal Elections Committee to control spending by such groups. ACU opposed this bill, which passed 218-209 on April 5, 2006.

2. Oil Refinery Permitting Process
HR 5254 (Roll Call 116) The House defeated an attempt to streamline the application process for building oil refineries in the U.S., to make more refining capacity available. ACU supported the bill, and although a majority of the House voted for it, a two-thirds vote was required under House rules. The vote was 237-188 on May 3, 2006.

3. Tax Rates
HR 4297 (Roll Call 135) The House adopted a bill extending $70 billion in tax cuts, including the capital gains tax cuts, through 2010. ACU supported the bill, which passed 244-185 on May 10, 2006.

4. Conservative Federal Budget
H Con Res 376 (Roll Call 156) The House defeated a conservative alternative to the budget that would limit total spending to $2.7 trillion, including $829 billion in discretionary spending, saving $358.3 billion over five years, extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, eliminate about 150 federal programs and increase defense and veterans' spending. It also restructured a number of agencies, reduced foreign aid by $31 billion over five years, allowed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and eliminated highway earmarks. ACU supported this alternative, which was defeated by a vote of 94-331 on May 18, 2006.

5. Pork Barrel Spending
HR 5427 (Roll Call 205) The House defeated an amendment that would bar the use of taxpayer funds for the Juniata Ultra Low Emission Locomotive Demonstration in Pennsylvania. ACU supported this amendment, which was defeated 46-372 on May 24, 2006.

6. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
HR 5429 (Roll Call 209) The House passed a bill authorizing oil and gas production in a small portion of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. ACU support the bill, which passed 225-201 on May 25, 2006.

7. Expanded Oil Refinery Construction
HR 5254 (Roll Call 232) The House passed a bill streamlining the application process for new oil refinery construction in the United States, including sites on closed military bases. ACU supported this bill, which passed 238-179 on June 7, 2006.

8. Federal Aviation Administration Labor Negotiations
HR 5449 (Roll Call 233) The House killed a bill that attempted to give union bosses more power to interfere in FAA labor negotiations. ACU opposed this bill. A majority of the House supported it, 271-148 on June 7, 2006, but under House rules, a two-thirds majority was required.

9. Network Neutrality
HR 5252 (Roll Call 239) The House defeated an amendment that would have impaired the property rights of Internet service providers. ACU opposed this amendment, which was defeated 152-269 on June 8, 2006.

10. Iraq War Resolution
H Res 861 (Roll Call 288) The House adopted a resolution declaring opposition to an arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment of U.S. armed forces from Iraq, affirming the U.S. commitment to establishing democracy in Iraq, and honoring Americans taking an active part in the war on terror and the sacrifices of the U.S. armed forces who have died or been wounded. ACU supported the resolution, which was adopted 256-153 on June 16, 2006.

11. Estate Tax Reduction
HR 5638 (Roll Call 315) The House passed a bill significantly reducing the estate tax (the so-called death tax) and indexing the reduction for inflation. ACU supported this bill, which passed 269-156 on June 22, 2006.

12. Line-Item Veto
HR 4890 (Roll Call 317) The House passed a bill authorizing the president to single out specific appropriations, spending, and special tax breaks for re-passage by the Congress under expedited procedures. ACU supported this bill, which passed 247-172 on June 22, 2006.

13. United Nations Headquarters
HR 5672 (Roll Call 342) The House defeated an amendment that would bar the use of taxpayer dollars to design, renovate, construct, or rent any headquarters for the United Nations at any location in the United States. ACU supported this amendment, which was rejected 131-288 on June 28, 2006.

14. Firearm Penalties
HR 5672 (Roll Call 343) The House adopted an amendment preventing implementation of certain anti-firearms penalties. ACU supported this amendment, which passed 230-191 on June 28, 2006.

15. Public Prayer
HR 5672 (Roll Call 345) The House adopted an amendment that would prevent a federal court in Indiana from banning prayer in the Indiana House of Representatives. ACU supported this amendment, which passed 246-174 on June 28, 2006.

16. Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling
HR 4761 (Roll Call 356) The House passed a bill ending the federal moratorium on offshore exploration and development of oil and natural gas. The bill also gave states more control over drilling along their coasts. ACU supported this bill, which passed 232-187 on June 29, 2006.

17. Same-Sex Marriage Ban
H J Res 88 (Roll Call 378) The House failed to pass a constitutional amendment defining marriage as consisting only of the union of a man and a woman. ACU supported this amendment, which received a majority vote of 236-187 on July 18, 2006. However a two-thirds majority is required to pass a constitutional amendment.

18. Embryonic Stem Cell Research
HR 810 (Roll Call 388) The House failed to override President Bush’s veto of legislation providing taxpayer funds for embryonic stem cell research. ACU opposed the effort to override the President’s veto, which failed on a vote of 235-193 on July 19, 2006. Although a majority of the House voted to override, a two-thirds vote is required to override presidential vetoes.

19. Border Fencing
HR 6061 (Roll Call 446) The House passed a bill that authorized the construction of a 700 mile fence along the Mexican border. ACU supported this legislation, which passed 283-138 on September 14, 2006.

20. Voter Identification
HR 4844 (Roll Call 459) The House passed legislation requiring individuals voting in federal election to provide photo identification, and after 2010, proof of citizenship in order to vote. ACU supported this legislation, which passed 228-196 on September 20, 2006.

21. Illegal Immigrant Detainment
HR 6094 (Roll Call 465) The House passed a bill that would set conditions under which illegal immigrants could be detained indefinitely pending their deportation, bar admission into the United States for gang members and allow alien members of certain gangs to be automatically eligible for deportation. ACU supported the bill, which passed 328-95 on September 21, 2006.

22. Immigration Law Enforcement
HR 6095 (Roll Call 468) The House passed a bill that would set new procedures to expedite lawsuits against the government involving immigration law, require the Justice Department to hire more attorneys to prosecute human smuggling cases, and clarify that state and local law enforcement agencies have the authority to investigate and apprehend illegal immigrants. ACU supported this bill, which passed 277-140 on September 21, 2006.

23. Parental Notification
S 403 (Roll Call 479) The House passed a bill making it a federal crime to take a minor across state lines to obtain an abortion in order to circumvent state parental notification and consent laws. ACU supported this bill, which passed 264-153 on September 26, 2006.

24. Military Tribunals
S 3930 (Roll Call 508) The House passed a bill authorizing military tribunals to try unlawful enemy combatants in the war on terror, and re-affirming a ban on evidence obtained through torture. ACU supported this bill, which passed 250-170 on September 29, 2006.

25. Property Rights and Eminent Domain
HR 4772 (Roll Call 511) The House passed a bill ensuring access to federal courts for individuals challenging government attempts to take their property under eminent domain. ACU supported this bill, which passed 231-181 on September 29, 2006.

http://www.acuratings.org/2006_HouseVotes.html

My own opinion from looking at the bills' descriptions (as described by the ACU with their conservative bias) was that the ACU generally supports corporate personhood over the individual, supports imperialism, and attempts to destroy progress on social rights. I imagine that conservatives probably have an opposite view from mine. Perhaps, they call corporate personhood the property rights of individuals for example. Opinions?

How do these issues fit into a broader picture of what it means to be conservative?

[Eugene]

1. This is rightist freedom-for-people-like-me conservatism.

This is a pick-and-choose conservatism. They want government
out of their way but don't mind too much if it keeps the homos,
heathens, and furriners in check. They certainly don't want
to pay for it though.

Other conservatives have openly complained about the Bushies'
irresponsible fiscal policies and irresponsible stewardship of
the nation's resources. Some conservatives also express alarm
at military commissions and warrantless surveillance as signs
of unchecked state power.

[zbdent]

2. Are you asking for the classic definition, or the neo definition?