George Bush not only made the term "compassionate conservatism" a common phrase but also showed what a joke it is.
Last year, Scott Walker picked up where Bush left off when he tried to defend his indefensible decision to reject federal money for Medicaid expansion:
Speaking to an audience of hundreds at a meeting here of business lobby Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, Walker said his plan would cover somewhat fewer people than a full expansion of Medicaid as provided under the federal health care law, which he said would cover 252,700 people, or 28,100 more than his own approach. But the Republican governor said that his proposal, which shrinks state health programs by a few thousand patients, would reduce the role of government in people's lives and make them more independent.
"Some people will portray this as not caring about people. I think it's just the opposite. I care too much about the people of this state not to empower them to control their own destiny," Walker told the audience.
Now that Walker is officially unofficially running for president, he is kicking his compassionate conservatism up a notch by adding a little patriotism:
“Beyond that, I just ask the basic question: Why is more people on Medicaid a good thing?” he said. “I’d rather find a way, particularly for able-bodied adults without children, I’d like to find a way to get them into the workforce. I think ideologically, that’s a better approach, not just as a conservative, but as an American. Have more people live the American dream if they’re not dependent on the American government.”
Don't you just get the feeling that he is going to just love all the poor people to death?
Here he is on Morning Joe:
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