“Conservative” Smoke & Mirrors

After the drubbing the so-called “conservatives” took in the 2006 elections, a number of the “honest conservatives” suddenly discovered that the Shrubbery wasn’t really a conservative. The problem they face is that if they don’t separate themselves from the Shrubbery they have to admit that there is no majority for their policies, and their policies are failures. As they can’t possibly do that and maintain their personal illusions, they again discover that another of their poster children wasn’t really part of their movement.

Anyone who supported the “W-04” campaign can forget being considered “an honest conservative.” Digby discusses that bit of theater in A Word To The Wise. If you throw all of your weight as a movement behind an individual, that individual defines the movement.

The Pensacola Beach Blogger came across an interesting conservative project that might be a reaction to the excesses of the current mob in the White House: the American Freedom Agenda. Basically they want candidates for President to sign a pledge to forgo the unitary Executive.

There is nothing wrong with their agenda, but I would hope that the next President would not need to sign the pledge, because s/he would actually accept the obligations and restrictions of the oath of office and the Constitution. I personally believe the real motivation for the agenda is the realization that the next President will be a Democrat and a Democrat wielding the kind of powers that the Shrubbery has claimed should certainly chill the soul of anyone with an “R” after their name. They probably have nightmares about a new President Clinton sending the Heritage Foundation to Guantanamo.