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I find the notion of a Bush Three to be absurd.
Most of Obama's promises (and subsequent policies and actions to-date) are what I expected. Some I agree with and others I dont, but its hard for me to see how they are Bush-like.
Expansion of the SCHIP program that Bush vetoed twice, lifting Bush restrictions on stem cell research, putting more than 2 million acres of wilderness under federal protection and stopping leases on oil/gas exploration near federal parks issued by Bush in his last days in office, signing the law to provide fair pay/pay equity for women, ending Bush restrictions on Clean Air Act regs on GHG emissions, a commitment to urban issues, that was neglected for eight years, with the creating of an office of urban policy and restored or expanded funding for numerous programs - COPS, CDBG, ...
The first attempt at real health care reform after eight years of neglect as costs rose and access declined, with the hope of legislation by the end of summer and climate change legislation (reducing GHG emissions) in the works.
A presumption of release of documents under FOIA requests rather than the Bush presumption of denying such requests whenever possible and by any means.
Rebuilding US image abroad by engaging with Muslim leaders and communities and restoring diplomacy as a foreign policy tool.
As to other national security/foreign policy actions....this is where I might disagree , but who is really surprised?
- setting a hard timetable for withdrawal of most troops from Iraq (not soon enough for me)
- deployment of more troops to Afghanistan (a no win situation)
- continuation of prisnoer rendition (at least not to the countries with the worst human rights records) and closing "black" prisons
The only real mirror image of Bush policy is probably w/ regard to FISA and now these military tribunals (at least with more prisoner rights).
So among all of the above, what comes as a real surprise?
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"The perfect is the enemy of the good."
~ Voltaire
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