Good to meet you, playfullheart.
Please count me among the 27% cited above.

As you may know, W. is one of the biggest supporters of the death penalty, having sent 152 people to their deaths while he was governor of Texas.
Death Penalty: Bush: 152 - Perry: 151 and counting ...

As president, though, any time the talk turns to stem cell research, abortion, or Terri Schiavo, he talks about how he and his party "protects life" and supports "a culture of life."
Bush Hails Progress Toward 'Culture of Life' (washingtonpost.com)

How can anyone reconcile those two points of view, especially given other policy decisions he has made over the last 7 years?

The following is a little something I wrote on the subject of "the culture of life" the first couple times Bush used that phrase, but it seems to apply here. I admit that it is sarcastic in tone, but every bit of it is true... and I have provided supporting links.

Imagine Bush giving this speech, and telling us the truth for a change.

"We protect life, from conception to...birth.1

After that, you are on your own.

Don't expect:
- your mom to be insured, so she can afford to have you in a hospital.2
- decent public schools to teach you the basics.3
- any help with a college loan, so you can prepare for a career.4
- a decent job that wont get shipped to China or India.5
- social security to be there when you retire.6

Hey, we fought to get you into the world.
What more do you want?
Good luck out there!

And don't mess up.
We are still in favor of the death penalty."




1(Bush and his most fervent supporters want Roe v Wade repealed)
How George Bush will ban abortion - Salon

2(Bush refuses to entertain national healthcare, even as the percentage of uninsured grows each year)
Bush scales back healthcare initiatives - Proposals for health savings accounts and electronic health records take center stage - Managed Healthcare Executive

3(No Child Left Behind is underfunded and has proven to be deeply flawed)
NEA: No Child Left Behind - NCLB/ESEA - NEA Position

4(Budget cuts and stricter qualification requirements)
College Loan Crunch - Forbes.com

5(Bush talks often about how shipping jobs outside the country is good for us... but this is only true if you are a CEO)
AlterNet: Globalization: Bush's Challenge: Globalization Good for The Poor

6(Luckily, on this one, Bush's plan to destroy Social Security has failed)
Bush's Impossible Social Security Plan - Mises Institute