Budget Without Earmarks?
Rs Should Declare Victory and Get on the Airwaves
By Adam C Posted in Congress — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Rep. Obey (D) has thrown up his hands in frustration at the President's insistence that he not spend more than the country can afford. So Obey has thrown his toys out the window:
Instead, Obey said he will push a huge spending bill that would hew to the president's spending limit by stripping it of all lawmakers' pet projects, as well as most of the Bush administration's top priorities. It would also contain no money for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Republicans should go on the air and remind the public that it was their efforts that got the Ds to drop the massive earmarking. Then they should request a supplement budget to fund the troops in the field. This is a great opportunity to see how smart or how dumb the Republican leadership is and if they have learned anything about the public's disdain for the corrupt, pork-barreling process.
Obey's proposal would ax about 9,500 home-district and home-state projects worth a total of $9.5 billion, according to Keith Ashdown, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a budget watchdog group.
« Rep. Capuano's Newspeak for Censorship — Comments (5) | As Mel Brooks Might Have Put It . . . — Comments (1) »
Budget Without Earmarks? 2 Comments (0 topical, 2 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
It's worth pointing out that the article as a whole presents a clearly partisan view shifting blame to the Republicans -- the 40% figure (NB: Republicans make up 46% of the House and 49% of the Senate, to make it clear which party's received a smaller percentage of them), "most Republicans are expected to fall in line", the conciliatory Republican quotes, and the outrage of Democrat Senator Byrd (once deemed the "king of pork") over not getting the earmarks. We can cheer the reduction in the earmarks, but unfortunately most who read this are unlikely to read the article and take it as a victory due to its slant.
Even a hint of a rumor of fiscal responsibility from DC? I'm speechless! Of course, I'm sure it won't last for long ...
MOlsen6
Proud supporter of McCain '00 and McCain '08