economic policies of the last quarter century, he was obliged to attempt to smother
irrepressible political conflicts with police state methods, and with war hysteria.
But in the interval before he could start the war, Bush would pay a heavy political price.
According to the Newseek poll, Bush's job approval rating had dropped from 67% during
the Gulf scare of August to 48% at the end of the October budget battles. The 20-point
free fall was a reminder that Bush possessed no solid base of support among any
numerically significant group in the US electorate. Now, the Carteresque Bush found that
his own party was turning against him. A split had opened up in the GOP which
threatened that party with the fate of the degenerate Federalists.
In the midst of the budget upheaval Bush, ever true to his family's racist creed, had
impudently vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1990. To make the symbolism perfect, he
signed the veto after an appearance at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Award
ceremonies in Washington. Bush was playing the card of racism for 1990 and 1992. "I
deeply regret having to take this action with a bill bearing such a title," said Bush,
"especially since it contains provisions that I strongly endorse." But he was adamant that
this bill "employs a maze of highly legalistic language to introduce the destructive force
of quotas into our national unemployment system." Bush claimed that this was a quota
bill, and since equal opportunity was thwarted by quotas, "the very committment to
justice and equality that is offered as the reason why this bill should be signed requires
me to veto it." An attempted override fell short by one vote in the Senate, 66-34, even
though Minnesota Republican Rudy Boschwitz, who had been against the bill, switched
sides to oppose Bush's veto. Boschwitz was doomed to defeat in the November election
in any case.
A most dramatic sign of the repudiation of Bush even by the Republican party apparatus
was the celebrated memorandum issued on October 15 by veteran political operative Ed
Rollins of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Rollins had been given a
four-year, million dollar contract to help the GOP win a majority on the Hill. He was
dedicated to helping his Congressional clients, incumbents and challengers alike, to get
elected. Watching the polls, Rollins saw that Bush's June 26 broken promise was sure to
be poison at the polls in early November. He sent out a memo that made the following
points:
The mood of the country has shifted dramatically in the past ten days; voters have
become as pessimistic about the direction of the country as at any time in recent history.
The President's approval/disapproval and job performance ratings have dropped
precipitously. This is no doubt due to the lack of a budget resolution and the lack of a
clear Republican position on taxes and spending.
Understanding that several members have never taken a no tax pledge, my best advice
today is to urge you to oppose taxes, specifically gas and income taxes. Do not hesitate to
oppose either the President or proposals being advanced in Congress. [fn 53]