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  Bush Plans Value-Based Initiative to Rev Up Agenda
Posted by FoM on July 28, 2001 at 22:09:54 PT
By Mike Allen, Washington Post Staff Writer 
Source: Washington Post 

justice President Bush, whose domestic agenda has largely stalled on Capitol Hill, plans to try to recapture the initiative this fall by putting more emphasis on the presidential role of moral leader with a series of executive actions and legislative proposals designed to foster community spirit and family values, administration officials said yesterday.

White House planning documents call for Bush to play down issues geared toward conservatives that dominated his first six months in office.

Instead, the documents say, the president will stress themes that "unite Americans by focusing on children, quality of life and universally appreciated values."

The shift comes in the face of a spate of legislative setbacks in which Congress -- which last spring approved Bush's tax-cut plan with extraordinary speed -- has sought to reverse many of his environmental policies, delayed action on his education and religious charities proposals, and resisted his appeals to pass a patients' rights bill that he could sign.

It illustrates the apparent recognition by the White House that, with the Senate in Democratic hands and the House no longer a reliable ally, the president needs to build a record of accomplishment by pursuing policies that appeal directly to the American people and do not necessarily require congressional approval. The strategy echoes the one employed by President Bill Clinton after Republicans won control of Congress in 1994, when Clinton turned to "small-bore" issues such as school uniforms and school safety to regain his footing.

Bush is considering proposals to help provide e-mail services to link grandparents and grandchildren, add citizenship to the curriculum in schools, increase community use of the Internet, encourage news organizations to "increase reporting of good news," and promote movies that do not further racial stereotypes. The plan, called Communities of Character, also would have Bush address issues such as adoption, teen pregnancy, truancy, drugs, school safety, affordable housing, mental illness, gang prevention and prison ministries.

"There is potential for Communities of Character to be a four-year project for the White House that helps define the presidency," one document says. "There seems to be a consensus that a renewal of shared values in this country is needed."

Administration officials said they hope the effort will help Bush regain the mantle of "a different kind of Republican" that he ran under last year. The plan fits Bush's reelection strategy for 2004, in which the president will seek to adopt a more moderate image with appeals to Hispanics, Catholics and women who live in suburbs.

"This project should not be seen as religious-based," said a memo from the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives, headed by Bush's senior adviser, Karl Rove.

Officials said the project also is part of an effort to help Bush use the bully pulpit more effectively. In recent weeks, some Bush aides have agonized about what they consider their failure to package the president effectively, with the result being that he may not always have conveyed the command and charisma they see in him. Internal documents suggest Bush "limit the number of podium speeches" and "focus on casual and informal settings."

Several White House officials declined to discuss the new program, saying they did not want to announce it until September.

The project, which has been under development for months, is being planned using techniques that might launch a soft drink or laundry soap. "Avoid a traditional media roll-out of the program," a memo recommends. "Use creative media tactics to create a buzz."

The initiative, which will not be finalized until after responses are received from groups that could be supportive of it, is the product of more than two dozen White House meetings and is based on binders full of polling data. One recommendation is to "conduct market research to validate existing public data and further explore American views on value and community."

"Compared to 30 years ago, Americans are more worried about moral values, the breakdown of the family and decline in civic life," says a document that charts public opinion for 33 years. "The public wants government and individual elected officials to play a more active leadership role in dealing with declining values."

Administration officials said that in an effort to build broad support for the plan, the White House has consulted executives from AOL Time Warner Inc.; the MTV and Nickelodeon cable networks; and the owner of those networks, Viacom Inc., which also owns CBS, Paramount and Blockbuster. Officials also said they hope to involve star athletes, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and professional sports leagues.

Some Bush officials say they believe Clinton provides the model for using the modern presidency to connect with the electorate, and an official said the new project could be seen as an effort to produce "Clinton without Clinton."

The proposals are not intended to replace more traditionally conservative ones, officials said. A key part of Bush's strategy for 2004 is to maintain his base of conservative Republican support and expand the number of Christians who support him. Much of the potential legislation could have a strong conservative element. "There is a character component to every issue," a memo says.

Officials said they see the program as an ambitious successor to the "thousand points of light," the private efforts to solve public problems that Bush's father saluted in his 1988 acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. In office, Bush's father conferred a Daily Point of Light Award. Strategists in the new Bush administration recommend that "rather than officially designating Communities of Character, use heroes to tell the story."

Bush aides are researching such options as encouraging public service announcements that salute the community work of movie stars and opinion leaders, and working with news organizations to develop "profiles in character" about worthy citizens.

The project is built on the communitarian philosophy, which aims to bolster the foundations of civil society -- including families, schools and neighborhoods -- and foster a commitment to the welfare of the community.

Amitai Etzioni, a George Washington University sociologist who founded the communitarian movement in 1990 and has been consulted by the Bush administration, said the plans reflect "the better Bush." But Etzioni said the White House would have to be subtle in its approach for the plans to be successful.

"We are all exposed to a wide variety of moral voices -- the media, Hustler, corporations," Etzioni said. "It is part of the job of the president to add his voice, as long as it is exhortation, not legislation. It's one thing to tell what you think. It's another thing to shove it down their throat. That's what they do in Iran."

Source: Washington Post (DC)
Author: Mike Allen, Washington Post Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, July 29, 2001; Page A01
Copyright: 2001 The Washington Post Company
Contact: letters@washpost.com
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/

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Comment #12 posted by SWAMPIE on July 30, 2001 at 02:20:59 PT
VALUE-ADDED PACKAGING
Has anyone ever watched the cartoon"Pinkie and The Brain"?It is about 2 lab-rats who are always trying to take over the world,with any possible scenario imaginable.The writers of this show have more sense about what's going on in our government than most of the people do.They're probably stoners too!"Shrubberfugger's"image to any enlightened person is that of a ne'er-do well idiot,and his"communitarian"ideals are the epitomy of a communist plot to get averyone to line up in single-file order and accept what"we say"for the good of the childrun",and if you do not follow "my"example,you will be arrested,or killed!!You will be fingerprinted,photographed,and compared to a computer file to make sure you aren't one of those God-awful drug users!!!Can anyone say"CHINA"????????????What about"Value-Packaged-Morals"??Sounds to me like a car salesman,rather than a"Leader of the People,By the People,And For the People!!!!I hope Bush chokes on the wad of dung that he just bit into!! SWAMPIE

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #11 posted by freedom fighter on July 29, 2001 at 22:17:31 PT
Average kid
does not know who is the prez!

moral leader?

Can bushywhusy hear the kids laughing???


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHHHHAAAAAAAA!


[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #10 posted by lookinside on July 29, 2001 at 20:22:32 PT:

Lehder...
thanks for that link...i read it...it bolsters my opinions
of the shrub...recommended reading all...


[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #9 posted by In The Mail on July 29, 2001 at 15:41:41 PT
moral checklist
Hope we get a moral check list so we know how to behave. An old line but still true...Jail is way worse than personal private use of marijuana. I've mailed out about 3,000 petitions for PRAyes.com

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #8 posted by ekim on July 29, 2001 at 07:52:03 PT:

Never met a pot smoker that had a job
A few weeks ago while petitioning for PRA at our annual Blues Fest in Kazoo.I came across a guy that got in my face and said no he did not want to sign my marijuana petition "cause it was the most iddicting substance around" which I promtly responded "No that was gov't propaganda" hearing this the guy got all fiered up asking me where did I work and what did I do as he was a Dare officer and he never has met a pot smoker that had a job. I was working two clipboards in four very fast lines going in to the fest so the guy was going in with his freinds all I managed to say was are you going to drink while in the show or do you want drinking stopped also. Which came the reply drinking is legal marijuana is not. I went back to the crowd to gather more signatures I had allready had over two hundred at that time. I could not have asked for a better example of Dare if I had tryed. I have wondered what has become of MY country the one I went to V.N. for. The one which the Nuns at At. Augustins school long ago told me that our country is good but the Communist state is bad because it wants the children to turn in there parents for the good of the State. Now Iam grown a half century has passed and I meet a Dare officer whose job it is to get the kids to turn in there parents for the good of the state. Man-- people wake up. Sign the petition at www.prayes.com

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #7 posted by Lehder on July 29, 2001 at 06:04:54 PT
O' Lord, Keep Us Pure And Clean !
http://www.realchange.org/bushjr.htm

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #6 posted by dddd on July 29, 2001 at 04:57:39 PT
Yes,,I agree
..A great many of the youth and sheeple will recognize
the large piles of cattle droppings that they will be
further slathered with,,,,but due to the nature of
communications in todays world,whoever is in the
drivers seat of the major media,will be able to "rule
the world",so to speak.....I hate to continually whip
the dead palamino,but the control of the news,is
equivilent to the control of the hearts and minds.It
is the ace card that trumps all the others.It is the
most prized and valuable tool of power,and domination.

Woe be to the world of tommorrow.The combination
of military/police power,and the control of the media,
is a tyrants dream.

...There is not a "Berlin wall",in this equation.There is
only an evil empire that is being further perfected every
day.

Strange times.............indeedddd

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #5 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on July 29, 2001 at 04:30:24 PT:

Bush- Moral Leader
He is neither.

I am certain that the youth of America will be further marginalized and alienated by this policy approach. Hopefully the sheeple will liberate their consciousness out of the usual media stupor to recognize this for the disengenuous, hypocritical, opportunistic, insincere bovine excement that it truly represents.

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #4 posted by dddd on July 29, 2001 at 03:22:18 PT
"civil society"
>"..... to bolster the foundations of civil society,... "<...absurd!

>"The public wants government and individual elected officials to play a more active leadership role in dealing with declining values."<.....absurdly Orwellian..


>"The project, which has been under development for months, is being planned using techniques that might launch a soft drink or laundry soap. "Avoid a traditional media roll-out of the program," a memo recommends. "Use creative media tactics to create a buzz.""<

...This aknowledges that the government has now secured domination and control
over the media.......They will now proceed to use it to further control of the
population through endoctrination via the media....Just watch as dissenting viewpoints
and opinions are increasingly squelched in the coming years,,and the two party
domination of politics will become even more entrenched.

....It's all beyond Mr Orwells wildest fantasies.......This is BIG!....REALLY BIG,in the
scope of world history.There has never been anything that compares to what is
happening nowdays,,and the main factor,,the key ingredient,,is control of,,,
,,,the MEDIA!!!

dddd

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #3 posted by Dan B on July 29, 2001 at 01:21:35 PT:

Fancy Packaging For More Government Intrusion
"There seems to be a consensus that a renewal of shared values in this country is needed."

First of all, the people of this country have never had "shared values." One of the reasons why people move to this country is the supposed freedom to express one's values without the government telling them, "No, you can't have those values here! Off with your heads!." In essence, Bush is saying, "Because everyone wants shared values, I will do everything in my power to insure that everyone else shares my values. By promoting one set of values over another and calling that set of values "American," the president hopes to foster hatred toward those who do not believe as he does. No matter the "family" face he tries to put on it, it is bigoted and wrong.

The project is built on the communitarian philosophy, which aims to bolster the foundations of civil society -- including families, schools and neighborhoods -- and foster a commitment to the welfare of the community.

Child: Dad, how far from "Communitarian" is the town of "Communist."

Dad: Well, son, now that the town between them--"Fascism"--has grown so big, they're practically the same city!

There is nothing new here. It's all government intrusion wrapped up in a family-oriented package. Goebbels would be proud.

Dan B

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #2 posted by mayan on July 29, 2001 at 01:07:50 PT
Raaaaalph!
The politicians are always talking about "family values".

It's time families start talking about "politician's values".

I've had it with these hypocrites. This really makes me want to blow chunks all over my keyboard.



[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #1 posted by dddd on July 28, 2001 at 23:49:17 PT
Communities of Character,....
...pardon me while I power barf....this phoney idiot
is going to try and buy some better approval ratings
with a Madison Ave ad campaign......ddddisgusted


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