Bush Takes Manhattan
From the September 13, 2004 issue: The president leaves his New York convention in command of the race.
by Fred Barnes
09/13/2004, Volume 010, Issue 01
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On domestic policy, Bush's convention speech and the 50-page "Agenda for America" handed out afterwards ("A Plan For A Safer World And A More Hopeful America") were important for three reasons. One, Bush emerged as a big government conservative in full flower. Two, he called for so many significant reforms (the tax code, Social Security, lawsuits, health care) that he is indeed the reform candidate in the presidential race. Three, Bush is also the change candidate. Kerry, by comparison, is a reactionary liberal.
As a big government conservative, Bush wants to use the federal government with activist zeal for conservative ends--and for a lot more. Libertarians will gag when they read the Bush agenda booklet. The words that appear most often in it are "increase" and "expand." Bush proposes to spend a fresh $1 billion on kids' health care and whatever it takes "to meet his new goal of creating 7 million new, affordable homes in 10 years." And he will "support the farm bill." There's no hint of shrinking the size of government.
The reforms Bush advocates make up the unfinished conservative agenda. He's endorsed many of them before, but this time Bush would have you believe he's serious. Perhaps he is. The boldest part is individual investment accounts funded by payroll taxes. The newest and most sweeping is "a tax credit for low-income families and individuals to purchase health insurance," that is, of a special kind: catastrophic health insurance coupled with health savings accounts to pay for doctor's visits. If passed, it
could be broadened to cover all individuals and families, ending the costly practice of third-party payers for health care.
URL:http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/004/577vwibc.asp?pg=2 |
