Letter: Pundits swallowing younger Bush's line

In the first place the term "compassionate conservative" is an oxymoron unless you consider the "survival of the fittest" doctrine of the "market forces," which is the bedrock of conservatism, as being "compassionate"!

Those in the news media, including the political pundit "talking heads," evidently don't know this or they wouldn't be falling all over themselves to legitimize this contradiction, which should be obvious to anyone who has even a rudimentary knowledge of economics and conservative ideology, but no, they are not only not questioning such gobbledygook, they have practically awarded Bush the presidency on his name alone. So let's look at what's behind the name.

Under "Daddy Bush" unemployment neared 9 percent, the budget deficit was $300 billion, wages were falling, prices were rising and the misery index was at historic highs. But not only that -- Big Daddy just didn't care and was even campaigning for re-election on cutting Medicare by $400 billion to finance tax cuts for the rich.

This from a candidate who had called for a "kinder and gentler nation" in his 1988 campaign!

The younger Bush is therefore merely recycling his old man's phony message of "compassionate conservatism" and I suspect his policies would also mirror daddy's with the same miserable results!

I don't think the polls are reflecting a knowledge of this among the shallow personality-driven electorate at the present time!

DANIEL OLIVIER

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