Charles Shiflett Column November 6, 2005

The Resurrection Of George W.

If they stay in office long enough, most politicians will go though it. Sometimes it's their own fault and
sometimes it's just the way the ball bounces, but the odds of falling out of favor with the voting public
at some point is high.

The history books are filled with stories of those politicians who fell by the wayside due to illegality,
scandal or just plain bad decision making. Likewise, there are many who deftly used their political
skills to survive.

Back in the early 1990's, longtime Democrat state senator Nathan Dean got caught up in allegations
of misappropriation of state funds. My pal Lester Tate mounted a strong challenge to Nathan in the
Democrat primary and came within a whisker of knocking him off.

Nathan survived and he served for another decade before retiring just as his district became majority
Republican.

The last few weeks have been a low point for George W. Bush. Hurricane Katrina, though an act of
nature, only brought to the forefront what we've always known… that the federal government is limited
in what it can do.

Though local and state officials in Louisiana failed miserably in their response to Katrina, Bush was
guilty by association. As Americans watched the mess along the Gulf Coast unfold, oil and natural
gas prices shot through the roof partly due to the effects o f the storm. Two strikes against George.

Of course there's the Scooter Libby indictment. I don't think American's are too worked up over this,
but it's still a distraction. And even with Iraqi's voting to adopt a new constitution, Americans are ready
for the war to end.

Then there's the nomination of Harriet Miers for Supreme Court justice. I firmly believe Bush and his
advisors believed that as long as they could convince Christian conservatives that Miers was pro-life,
then she was a shoe-in. They were wrong.

Though important, for most conservatives it's more than the life issue… more than the Pledge of
Allegiance… more than the Ten Commandments. We are looking for a nominee who is a strict
constructionist.

Conservatives want someone who would vote to overturn the Kelo eminent domain decision... someone
who would say no to affirmative action… someone who would rule that much of what the federal
government does is unconstitutional.

With Miers' withdrawal, Bush received a second chance to make amends to his base. As soon as
Bush announced Samuel Alito as his new nominee, Ted Kennedy, Chuck Schummer, and the rest of
the “Democrats opposed to everything” crowd all went ballistic.

Personally I see Alito as another moderate along the lines of recently confirmed chief justice John
Roberts, but it's probably the best Bush can do considering the lack of conservatives in the U.S.
Senate. Alito will be a strong enough pick to rally the base.

Despite this first step, Bush must do more to swing the momentum back his way and more
importantly to his GOP controlled congress as elections loom in just a few months.

I've done a lot of political consulting over the years, successfully and unsuccessfully. However if
asked, this is what I would tell Bush to do.

(1) Address the illegal immigration issue head on. He can't afford to be timid and instead needs to
launch a major policy initiative. Start by immediately using the military to reinforce the Mexican border.
Then push congress to enact several tough steps including the imposition of penalties on businesses
that knowingly employ illegals.

(2) Bush should announce a comprehensive energy policy that will set a firm timetable for weaning
America from her dependence on foreign oil. This should include provisions for more offshore drilling,
incentives for developing alternative fuels, increased use of nuclear power, and increased mileage
standards for automakers.

(3) Attack the budget. It's time for Bush to call in the senate and house leadership and tell them the
party is over. No more pork, and we're going after the cows and chickens too.

The bottom line is that Bush must go on the offensive. In a matter of weeks, Bush could reignite the
passions of his conservative base and begin to once again govern from a position of strength.

I must confess I've never been a big Bush fan. His dad was a northeastern moderate Republican and I
feel that too much of this mindset rubbed off on W.

However as a conservative, I know that with a reinvigorated Bush we can accomplish a lot over his
three remaining years. Tax reform, social security reform, and continued opportunities to remold our
federal courts are all at stake, and we need a strong president to get 'er done.