David Keene Government Quotations

No one would deny the government the power it needs to protect us all. But when that power poses a threat to the basic rights that make our nation unique, its exercise must be carefully monitored by Congress and the courts.

Bush's compassionate conservatism has morphed into big government conservatism, and that isn't what the base is looking for. The White House and the congressional leadership have got to reinvigorate the Republican base. In off-year elections ... if your base isn't energized, particularly in a relatively evenly divided electorate, you've got more problems than you think you have.

We don't want this argument to be obscured by those who would suggest that anyone who is for more and more government power is somehow on the side of the right, and those who are against it or are skeptical of such grants are on the side of the wrong. This is an important question of all Americans on the left, the right or in the middle.

Big government conservatism is an oxymoron. In 1965 Lyndon Johnson built public housing. Now it looks like we will build trailer parks. This will be defining, in the sense that the neo-cons will end up saying government can do this. The real hero of these people is FDR. I don't happen to believe any of this will work. You can't rebuild New Orleans society.

They like Bush. But they are frustrated and disappointed with some things the administration has done. And the frustration is deep because government spending and growth of government are at the core of beliefs of many people here.