A shocker!!!! White House Claims Mandate for Bush Agenda Nov 4, 10:23 AM (ET) By JENNIFER LOVEN WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House claimed a second-term mandate Thursday for President Bush's agenda to keep taxes low and revamp Social Security, appealing to Democrats to help bridge America's political divide after a bitter election. "The American people spoke clearly about the agenda they want for the next four years," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. Bush reached out for the broad support of Americans on Wednesday, even those who voted against him. "I might point out that his arms are only so long, it's important for others to reach back as well," McClellan said. "We expect there will be Democratic leaders that want to reach back as well." Bush took congratulatory calls from the presidents of Iraq, Afghanistan, Poland and Russia and the prime ministers of Israel and Italy, and convened a meeting of his Cabinet. Staff turnover is common in a president's second term, but McClellan deflected questions about Cabinet departures. After months of minimizing his exposure to journalists, Bush planned a news conference to outline his second-term agenda. Top priorities include nudging Congress forward on producing a budget and on intelligence reform legislation. On his own domestic agenda, the list includes retooling Social Security, making health care more affordable, and streamlining the tax code, McClellan said. Bush also invited campaign workers to the White House for a thank-you celebration. His second term secured, Bush asked the 55 million people who voted to oust him from office to get behind him. In a jubilant victory speech Wednesday that came a full 21 hours after the polls closed, Bush outlined the goals he plans to start work on immediately and pursue in the next four years, a period he termed "a season of hope." He pledged to keep up the fight against terrorism, press for stable democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan, simplify the tax code, allow younger workers to invest some of their Social Security withholdings in the stock market, continue to raise accountability standards in public schools and "uphold our deepest values and family and faith." Other items include reforms to the nation's intelligence community, halving the record $413 billion deficit, expanding health care coverage, a constitutional ban on gay marriage and moving "this goodhearted nation toward a culture of life." "Reaching these goals will require the broad support of Americans," Bush said as he asked Sen. John Kerry's disappointed supporters to back him - even though many of his proposals are anathema to those who opposed his re-election. "I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust," he said. "When we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America." Bush also has pledged a full-court press with Congress, where a continued GOP lock on both houses makes getting his wishes granted easier, but not guaranteed for a lame-duck president. The disputed 2000 election left Bush without a mandate, but he governed as if he had one. The White House made clear Wednesday that it believes that mandate did not elude Bush this time, when he became the first presidential candidate since 1988 to win a majority of the popular vote, 51 percent. "President Bush ran forthrightly on a clear agenda for this nation's future, and the nation responded by giving him a mandate," Vice President Dick Cheney said, introducing Bush. Even before the election, aides started work on a new budget, and the administration is preparing to ask Congress for up to $75 billion more to finance the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and operations against terrorism. The figure indicates the wars' costs, particularly to battle the intensified Iraqi insurgency, are far exceeding expectations laid out early this year. Another sticky item could be a Supreme Court appointment, with Chief Justice William Rehnquist, 80, suffering from thyroid cancer. Time and energy also will be consumed dealing with the inevitable rash of Cabinet departures, likely to include at least Secretary of State Colin Powell, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. Still, Bush is sure to spend the remaining days of his first term and much of his second dealing primarily with the same issues that have dominated the last three years - the anti-terror battle, the war in Iraq and the economy. In Iraq, where more than 1,100 American soldiers have died and a violent insurgency continues, Bush must seek to fulfill his pledge to turn the country into a model democracy for the Arab world and bring U.S. troops home. He campaigned on a claim of superior ability to lead there, but without describing precisely how he would accomplish either goal. But first, some time for rest after a grueling, bitter campaign. After the Cabinet meeting, Bush was headed to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland for a long weekend.
I don't get this. We hear "let's work together and bridge the gap" but then when it comes time to business that means, "do what we say" instead of "let's meet somewhere in the middle."
Will he give this up already. It's a state issue, not a constitutional ban issue. I wonder if they really wanted to say "godhearted"?
a constitutional ban on gay marriage overturning roe v. wade bankrupting social security in addition to the federal government Bring it on!!!
What they should have heard from the people was not a mandate but TWO distinct voices, one that was 3 percent louder than the other one. Here's a perfect American government for you: Shades of Grey. When there are two sides to an issue, try to find a workable compromise and go with that. Given, if the right is in power they can take a issue from their prospective and then make some modification to appease the other party. Despite what pundits on both sides of the aisle say, there are very few black and white issues out there. However, if there is an issue where there is no common ground and you can leave it as is (ie Gay Marriage or Abortion for the Right or Gun Control for the left) just leave it alone. I truly don't believe this is the case for these issues though. Gun Control for example. I would like to see no guns legal except for actual hunting rifles for ordinary citizens and semi-automatic hand guns for home protection. Period. You want an M-16? Join the freaking Army. However, I understand that not everyone thinks like that, so I would be willing to compromise on letting people have as many genuine hunting rifles and handguns as they want as long as we very heavily restrict automatic weapons designed for combat. There is no need for anyone to have an AK-47. ROXRAN would probably disagree. But I can bet you that we could have an intelligent conversation about the issue, in which, ROXRAN could educate me on different types of guns and why he feels thy should his right to keep and come up with some kind of workable compromise. I don't want to violate what he feels is a constitutional right. Why violate the liberties of some to appease the moral compass of others? Otherwise, we just end up swinging this country wildly from right to left and back again. I know it's a pipe dream. So what, I can still hope that people can try and work together in government.
How can you say that already. It sounds like he`s trying to do his part, lets see if he`ll walk the walk.
Bush campaigned for all these things why is anyone shocked he is planning on doing them? Oh that's right many are use to unfulfilled election promises and plans. Let's see what W can do in 4 years (and at least 2 with both houses behind him). SS needs fixed and if he can simplify the tax code that is a good thing. Fighting the war on terror is a given. So I love he says what he intends to do. if he does them great it makes us a stronger country, if he doesn't it gives some ammo to teh liberals in 2 and 4 years.
this is a major problem we see with republicans. 'scoreboard' is all that seems to matter to them. winning is everything and no matter what, winning means getting to do whatever you want. it doesn't work that way you cite that Bush got the most votes a president has ever recieved, that is true, but the most votes were also cast AGAINST a president ever. Bush only won Iowa, New Mexico and Ohio by a combined 158,082 votes. That difference will come down after all the votes are counted. I think it will be a huge mistake for Bush and the republicans in congress to act like they have a blank check.
Bush won a greater percentage of votes than Clinton ever did. Remember that, liberals. He was the only candidate in 16 years to get greater than 50% of the vote. This is percentage terms, Chump, not simply raw votes. That, my friend, is powerful. MANDATE
the notion that he won a greater percent is ludicrous. that is simply because there wasn't any viable third party candidate.
I think you forgot to mention that Bush will have won by the lowest margin of the popular vote (3.5M) of any winning incumbent since Truman (2.1M, and back then only 50M voted) You also forgot to mention that Bush will have gotten the lowest percentage of electoral votes (54%) of any winning incumbent since Wilson. Ignore 58.8 Million at your own risk
Ignore the majority of American voters at your own party's risk. Who is acting like they have a blank check? All he is doing is saying that he is going to do the things he said he would during his campaign. The same campaign that the majority of Americans voted FOR. It's funny how people on the left have spent 4 years moaning about how Gore should have been President because he won the popular vote (by a smaller percentage than Bush did this time around) and now that Bush has won the popular vote (again, by a larger percentage than Gore did in 2000) all the sudden the winning percentage isn't high enough?
Of course he's going to try and do what he promised. The point is that he's asking Democrats to just roll over and give him everything he wants. That's not how it works, he's not a King, he's the President.
The path is 100% clear now for the Republicans to run their party into the ground. One foot in the grave, and one foot on the pedal... yeeeeeehooooo!!!
Winning the popualar vote creates a mandate? This is a poor first step in bringing the country together. "I have gained political capital and I intend to use it" --Bush Sigh
