The Crumbling Sound is Deafening
Let me be up front. I voted for President George W. Bush twice. I was what the media would call "his base". I would defend him against the "Bush Lied" crowd almost reflexively. No more.
Whether he explicitly lied or not I can't say with certainty. What I can say is that story after story paints he and his administration as an unsavory mixture of incompetent, deceptive, unresponsive, and out of touch. Whether its ignoring any intelligence data he doesn't like or playing Clitonesque "It depends on what the definition of is is" semantics regarding the Plame leak investigation he has whittled away my support.
What is the single biggest factor contributing to Bush losing my support? Runaway spending. When someone votes for a Republican one expects to get a politician who will work to decrease spending, shrink government, eliminate entitlement programs, and decrease taxes. Certainly there are Democrats who can satisfy all of those criteria, but there are many who do not. Bush has willfully broken the first three tenants. If I had wanted a Democrat in office I would have voted for Al Gore or John Kerry. I feel like I was deceived.
Certainly the Republican led Congress has had their hands all over this fiasco and I certainly hope that they lose the House. It just may be a wake-up call.
