Letter: Bush's party far from compassionate

Bush's Republican rivals for the presidential nomination such as Dan Quayle, Steve Forbes and Lamar Alexander immediately put the squash on that idea, probably because there is no room for the word compassion in the conservative "manifesto."

Bush evidently has not been completely indoctrinated into the party ideology, which says compassion is the job of the churches and "individuals" while "morality" and sexual activities are the province of government.

Therefore, I am sure you will see Bush weaseling out of his statement as the days go by. His father is still getting flak from the meanest segments of the party for his "kinder, gentler" pronouncement in his 1989 inaugural address, and let's face it, no Republican can ever get the nomination of his or her party unless approved by the religious right-wing "mean" faction.

The conservative idea of compassion is cutting taxes for the affluent, paid for by cutting programs for the poor, citing the same old trickle-down mantra, so Bush had better not mean anything other than that or he is in trouble. Actually if Bush really believes in compassion he should switch parties!

Daniel F. Olivier

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