Thomas Finch – 3/15/06

This page was last updated on March 15, 2006.

We knew Bush wasn’t a god; Thomas M. Finch; Beaver County Times; March 15, 2006.

When Dan Reeping wrote his March 8^th letter, he took the low road. I really hate it when people on the right employ the tactics of the left. I knew, though, there would be a bright side because I assumed Mr. Reeping’s letter would bring out liberal letter writers every bit as willing as Mr. Reeping to take the low road. To date, there have been two responses to Mr. Reeping’s letter and neither has failed to deliver on my prediction.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Letter writer Dan Reeping finally made an intelligent comment everyone can agree with, when he said in his March 8 letter, ‘We Republicans know Bush is no god; no way, no how.’”

[RWC] Mr. Finch must have a thing for Dan Reeping. His most recent previous letter also responded to a Reeping letter.

Since the Reeping letter is no longer on the Times website, let me give some background. Though poorly done, Mr. Reeping tried to communicate that Democrats must have expected President Bush to be God given their alleged expectations and all the criticism. For example, some kooks actually implied President Bush was responsible to Hurricane Katrina because he didn’t sign the Kyoto Protocol.

“Amen, brother.

“But he’s preaching to the choir here. The rest of his letter degenerated into his usual Democrat-bashing.”

[RWC] Mr. Finch has nerve writing about Democrat bashing. Since August 2004, Mr. Finch has written at least six letters, all bashing President Bush and/or Republicans. One of my letters was a target of Mr. Finch, and my letter didn’t even mention Democrats.

“He’d better watch his step. If Rush and Rove get word that he’s no longer goose-stepping to their party line, he’s liable to get labeled a terrorist-loving, anti-war, America-hating, liberal-pinko-Democrat.

“How dare he question their fearless leader’s absolute correctness in all things.”

[RWC] Mr. Finch isn’t a regular Rush Limbaugh listener and/or hopes Times readers aren’t. Limbaugh – and most conservatives – have publicly opposed President Bush on a wide range of issues. These issues include, but are not limited to, the No Child Left Behind Act, his signing of the McCain-Feingold bill restricting political freedom of speech, the Medicare prescription drug plan, illegal immigration, no substantial spending cuts, big government growth, et cetera.

“Even Bush’s fellow Republicans are finally wising up to his incompetence, and (pun intended) jumping ship over this Dubai-ports deal. W’s approval rating with the American public is now, what, about 30 percent?”

[RWC] Mr. Finch is jumping the gun a bit. Depending on the poll you reference, President Bush’s approval rating is currently 36-37%. Mr. Finch can hope, however.

“This strutting fool has always promoted his own agenda, which caters to the rich to the detriment of the rest of the country. Then, his propaganda ministers spin more lies to delude the gullible public into going along with it.”

[RWC] Name-calling; you have to love it.

Note Mr. Finch provided no evidence that President Bush “caters to the rich to the detriment of the rest of the country” or evidence of lies.

Finally, Mr. Finch uses a tactic from his previous letter. If you support conservative principles – or at least don’t buy into stuff from the far left – you are gullible.

“It’s easy to throw stones at Ted Kennedy and Bill and Hillary, but what’s the point? There are other Democrats who can make improvements in this country. By comparison, how could they do any worse than Bush?”

[RWC] Uh, the point is these are among the leaders of the Democrat Party and Sen. Clinton (D-NY) is considered a serious contender for the Democrat nomination for president in 2008.

If “there are other Democrats who can make improvements in this country,” why didn’t Mr. Finch name them and why don’t Democrats elect them? During the 2004 Democrat presidential primaries, there was only one candidate who was not a certifiable wacko and who tended to demonstrate class on a regular basis. That man was Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT), Al Gore’s running mate in 2000. Democrats ran Lieberman out of the race after about the third primary.

“Don’t insult me or any other Democrat by insinuating that we regard Bush as a god. We didn’t vote for him. Most of the people who did now realize that it was a mistake, but it’s too late.”

[RWC] Big surprise, Mr. Finch is fact-challenged.

First, he claims Democrats didn’t vote for President Bush. Since there are more registered Democrats than Republicans, at least some Democrats voted for President Bush or he would not have won.

Second, Mr. Finch is wrong when he claims that most of the people who voted for President Bush “now realize that it was a mistake.” According to a February CBS poll, 72% of Republicans approve of President Bush’s performance. Only 9% of Democrats approve.

“You gave him four more years to ruin this country, so now we’re all suffering for it.”

[RWC] Note that Mr. Finch doesn’t provide specific examples of how President Bush is ruining the country and specific examples of how “we’re all suffering for it.”