Bush Wins a Second Term, Outlines Ambitious Goals

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-elect4nov04.story
Bush Wins a Second Term, Outlines Ambitious Goals
Kerry concedes after it becomes clear that Ohio is out of his grasp. Bush reaches out to his rival's supporters, saying he will work to earn their trust.
By Mark Z. Barabak Times Staff Writer

November 4, 2004

After a difficult White House campaign and an outcome that hung briefly on a single state, President Bush accepted Sen. John F. Kerry's concession Wednesday, outlining an extensive second-term agenda while extending a hand to his political opponents.<snip>

Citing the high turnout in Tuesday's election, Bush termed the 51% of the national popular vote a "historic victory," and called for changes to Social Security, a revision of the federal tax code and continued efforts "to help the emerging democracies of Iraq and Afghanistan."<snip>

Polarization appeared to drive turnout, boosting the vote to the highest level since 1968, another campaign fought against the backdrop of a controversial war. Just about 120 million people cast ballots Tuesday, or 59.5% of the voting-age population. Christian conservatives and younger voters turned out in particularly high numbers.<snip>

The president improved his vote among several traditionally Democratic constituencies, including women, blacks, Latinos and Jews. But he won by building on his support among traditional GOP loyalists (values), as many were quick to note.<snip>
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Bush's Agenda for Second Term
What Will Another Bush Term Mean for the Country?
ABC News: Nov. 4, 2004 - On the campaign trail, President Bush promised a bold domestic agenda, a commitment he reiterated Wednesday, starting with a pledge to keep taxes low. <snip>
Bush will use his political capital on issues he cares the most about: making his tax cuts permanent, simplifying tax returns, curbing expensive lawsuits and giving young people the chance to put payroll taxes into private retirement accounts -- a plan that could cost $2 trillion over 10 years. Bush has not said how he would pay for it. <snip>
Despite his victory at the polls, Bush may have to compromise. Senate Democrats still have the power to delay any part of the Bush agenda.
The most brutal fight could come over Supreme Court appointments. <snip>

take it or leave it and we will pass it without you.

sigh...

:-(

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-agenda4nov04.story
THE AGENDA
Majority Win Could Make Second Term More Partisan
By Doyle McManus and Janet Hook
Times Staff Writers

November 4, 2004

WASHINGTON — Four years ago, George W. Bush won his first term with fewer votes than his opponent, but governed as if the nation had granted him a clear mandate to pursue conservative policies.<snip>

So although the president reached out to defeated Democrats in his brief victory remarks Wednesday afternoon, his aides and supporters were quick to suggest that his bipartisanship might not go far — and that they expected Bush's second term to pursue even more ambitious conservative goals than the first.<snip>

"People say, 'The country's divided; shouldn't he be less ambitious?' " said Grover Norquist, president of the conservative Americans for Tax Reform. "No. This is a Republican-majority country. He will govern as aggressively as in the first term."<snip>

Simplifying the tax code is a Herculean political task because so many powerful interests are poised to defend every tax credit, deduction and subsidy in the Internal Revenue Code. The changes Bush seeks in Social Security — allowing workers to invest some of their payroll taxes in private accounts — would strip some future retirees of government guarantees in exchange for the possibility of greater rewards, and could cost trillions of dollars to implement.<snip>


One possible policy shift, he said, would be a decision to increase the size of the active-duty armed forces — a proposal Democratic candidate John F. Kerry made but Bush resisted. <snip>

A major restructuring of the national pension program to let younger workers invest part of their Social Security tax payments in individual investment accounts. He has pledged that older workers could stay in the current system with no reduction in benefits.

On Taxes he wants to protect the rich forever by making his first-term tax cuts permanent before they expire in 2011.

And what will "a sweeping simplification of the federal tax code" (he has presented no specific plan) cost the middle class?

He wants Congress to expand his first-term education reform plan, designed to hold schools more accountable, by expanding standardized testing at the high school level - but again no funding or underfunding, taking money from real education.

He has proposed tax credits to help low-income people buy health insurance or fund individual Health Savings Accounts.

Of course the low income have a lot of funds to put away in a savings account to fund health insurance!

will we finally get more manpower outside the Reserve and Guard?

We increased military spending by about 40% over the last four years, but Bush resisted proposals to increase the size of the active-duty armed forces.

military?

In Iraq, Bush pledged to keep U.S. troops fighting in Iraq until newly formed Iraqi security forces can stabilize the country in the face of a growing insurgency.

In the "War on terror", Bush promised to continue efforts to destroy Islamic terrorist organizations and encourage democracy in predominantly Muslim countries.

In Iran, he threatens - because he says Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons - and wants to start with the U.N. Security Council to consider imposing economic sanctions - as he starts down the Iraq path.

In North Korea, he continues to reject direct talks and says he will continue "multilateral talks" to persuade North Korea to halt its development of nuclear weapons.