Read this oped in the NyTimes online and see how much Bush and company are out of touch with the interests of the common people (except the common people who are members of the Religious Right or otherwise have been snookerred into thinking that Bush is actually a moderate who cares about helping them).

The writer points out what Democrats have been saying: The only opinions that matter to the Republilcans are those of the corporate interests and the Religious Right. This fact is apparent in every which way. Only supporters are allowed into Bush’s staged “town hall meetings”, only corporate or religious scientists are allowed on Bush’s advisory panels about science. Etc, Etc.

From the standpoint of corporate dividends, things look good. From the standpoint of the common man, things look horrible. Gas has increased 50% in price in the last couple of years, due in my opinion to Bush allowing OPEC to raise prices unchecked as payback for staying on the sidelines regarding Iraq.

Gas prices are having a disproportionately evil effect on the common working people.

Wages are essentially frozen.

The “giant sucking sound” Ross Perot talked about back in 1992 is still roaring loudly as more and more jobs are flowing overseas or out of the USA, leaving behind poorly paying service sector jobs.

We still don’t have national health care.

And due to the tax cuts for the wealthy and the Iraq war, and the obscene deficits, Missouri’s working poor have had their unemployment benefits cut substantially. See Unemployment Appeals from my employment law website for more about how the family friendly Republican legislature of Missouri has spit on Missouri families in their time of most dire need.

But to Bush and the Republicans and their Relilgious Right and Corporate allies, thing don’t look too bad. The Religious Right sees that Bush is doing almost everything he can to bring Theocracy to the USA, and the corporate interests are getting their bankruptcy and tort reform bills passed (bills which harm the working poor and the seriously injured, and reduce the incentive for corporations to be careful).

I guess that’s enough for now. By the way, Bill Clinton was not proactive in helping the common people, but at least he was not trying to harm their interests. Bush is actively and aggressively harming the interests of the common people.

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: The Oblivious Right
Yet two-thirds of Americans polled by Gallup say that the economy is “only fair” or “poor.” And only 33 percent of those polled believe the economy is improving, while 59 percent think it’s getting worse.

Is the administration’s obliviousness to the public’s economic anxiety just partisanship? I don’t think so: President Bush and other Republican leaders honestly think that we’re living in the best of times. After all, everyone they talk to says so.

Since November’s election, the victors have managed to be on the wrong side of public opinion on one issue after another: the economy, Social Security privatization, Terri Schiavo, Tom DeLay. By large margins, Americans say that the country is headed in the wrong direction, and Mr. Bush is the least popular second-term president on record.

What’s going on? Actually, it’s quite simple: Mr. Bush and his party talk only to their base - corporate interests and the religious right - and are oblivious to everyone else’s concerns.