Compassionate Conservative is oxymoron

LeNie Adolphson
Daily Egyptian

During the presidential campaign of 2000, President George W. Bush ran as a compassionate Conservative. Apparently, even President Bush and his handlers added the word compassionate to make conservatism look warm and fuzzy since the conservative ideology is not generally associated with compassion. Bush≠s compassionate conservative slogan was meant to put a new kinder, less punitive approach to dealing with poverty and other social problems.

In view of the fact that President Bush is running for reelection, it would behoove voters to ascertain whether or not the president has shown compassion. It is apparent that he has demonstrated conservatism. Yet what about compassion?

President Bush≠s proposal for windfall tax cuts breezed through Congress. However, the proposed rise in the minimum wage was frozen. Compassion for the working poor was conspicuously absent again. President Bush supports letting states "opt out" of the minimum wage law. Moreover, in another act of "compassion," the president proposed ending overtime to millions of employees the proposal would allow employers to reclassify workers as managers and administrative assistants, thereby denying them overtime pay.

Another program that is facing the ax is the national volunteer program, AmeriCorps. It is in danger of total elimination. Conservatives in the House led by Tom DeLay objected to AmeriCorps. It is noteworthy to mention that Tom DeLay also was a ferocious opponent of the tax relief for low-income families.

Regarding AmeriCorps, President Bush had called for expanding AmeriCorps in his 2002 State of the Union speech. Nevertheless, last month he was ominously quiet in the face of objections to a $100 million emergency payment that it would need to continue. The Republican-controlled house rejected funding for AmeriCorps, and now the volunteer agency≠s future is doubtful.

In President Bush≠s educational reform package passed in January 2002, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., went along with the president on his guarantee that the states would be given enough money to comply with the legislation.

However, the White House has only asked for $12 billion, $6 billion less than the legislation required. This pattern of making promising and later reneging has been a frequent occurrence.

The AIDS legislation is a glaring example. On July 12, President Bush said in Nigeria, "I signed a bill that authorizes $15 billion for the global fight on AIDS."

However, that next week the White House asked for only $2 billion, $1 billion less than authorized for the first of the five years.

President Bush failed to vigorously advocate for Head Start. Moreover, Jump Start, a program that he cited as a great program which provided mentoring and tutoring for low-income students, was gutted.

According to the Washington Post, the COPS program saw severe budget cuts. Law enforcement officials credited the COPS program with reducing crime in high crime areas.

In an ironic twist, many overseas servicemen voted for President Bush. Eric Boehlert of Salon News stated, ≥Bush and the White House have suddenly faced a new increasingly chilly reception from men and women in uniform.≈

This reception is fueled not only by the deployment to Iraq that is quickly becoming this generation≠s Vietnam, but many troops and veterans are upset over broken promises over veteran issues. Even more troubling is the issue of the sick and injured reservist at Fort Stewart, Ga. Spc. Joseph Eason went to Fort Stewart for medical treatment in August after leaving Iraq with five metal shards lodged in his lower body from a mortar round.

"The medical care here in my personal opinion is substandard, if any," Eason said.

President Bush ran as a compassionate Conservative. It will be up to the voters of America to critically examine if the Bush administration has demonstrated compassion, or is compassionate conservatism an oxymoron that is a delightful little scam?

Having my say appears every Tuesday. LeNie is a senior in history. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Egyptian.

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