Blue Dogs Sign Up on Earmark Express
Campaign as a Conservative, Govern as a Liberal.
By Adam C Posted in 2008 — Comments (5) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
The Club for Growth just released a reminder that many Blue Dog Democrats ran on a anti-pork message to appeal to conservative voters fed up with Republican Big Government. The War Supplemental is an early test to see if these Democrats were serious (or honest) about challenging pork culture in DC. It seems at least several were just saying whatever it takes to get elected:
Nancy Boyda (KS-2): Nancy Boyda recently came out in support of the pork-stuffed Iraq supplemental bill, but her campaign website told a different story. Running against Republican Jim Ryun, she wrote "Congress must never waste a single taxpayer dime on needless spending . . . Wasteful spending has increased exponentially in recent years." Does Nancy Boyda think $75 million for peanut storage is not a waste of taxpayer dollars?
Heath Schuler (NC-11): In his race to unseat Republican Representative Charles Taylor, the former football player attacked the incumbent Republican for his "irresponsible" earmarks (Wall Street Journal, 10/11/06) and said that "the people of North Carolina deserve better" (US Fed News Service, 10/11/06). We hope he remembers those words when it comes time to vote on the Iraq spending bill.
Nick Lampson (TX-22): Nick Lampson campaigned on fiscal responsibility and took a harsh stand against congressional pork on his campaign website: "We have terrible waste in our government that can be addressed right now. We shouldn't be spending on pork projects like bridges to nowhere in Alaska and a tea pot museum in North Carolina. We must set priorities and stick to them." By that standard, Rep. Lampson should cast a "no" vote on the Iraq war spending bill.
Tim Mahoney (FL-22): According to his campaign website, Rep. Tim Mahoney campaigned on wide-sweeping ethics reform that included a platform to "Cut the Pork." Interestingly, the supplemental bill includes money for citrus growers in Rep. Mahoney's district. Could that possibly have something to do with Tim Mahoney's support for the Iraq supplemental bill?
Harry Mitchell (AZ-5): Rep. Mitchell beat the fiscal responsibility drum on his campaign website: "Unfortunately, fiscal irresponsibility and pork-barrel spending has Washington swimming in red ink . . . In Congress, I will promote fiscal policy that is both responsible and accountable, just as I did at the local level." Now that his own Democratic leadership is the one doing the drowning, will Rep. Mitchell have the courage to just say no?
In 2008, the Congressional elections include "low-hanging fruit" for Republicans. These candidates are from districts that voted for the President by at least 9 points in 2004. They campaigned as conservatives to win and immediately jumped on the pork train. Hopefully Club for Growth will run issue ads pointing out their promises and how quickly they became comfortable in the DC pork culture.
« Dueling June Obama fundraising claims? — Comments (2) | AmSpec Breaks News on Thompson and the Life Issue — Comments (16) »
Blue Dogs Sign Up on Earmark Express 5 Comments (0 topical, 5 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
...knows he never hits his intended target.
As a Redskin fan, I have many reasons to despise Mr. Shuler. His opportunistic political "branding" is pretty far down the list.
--
"We can all do our part to save the planet by dying." - R.E. Finch
Na na, na na na na, hey hey, good-bye ....
In her first major speech on the House floor (non-binding Iraq war defeat resolution), she said that she'd determined that President Bush simply didn't understand the complexities of the Middle East and the situation in Iraq. She based that on her vast experience...experience derived from two (to that point) months in the US Congress*, a few terms as an Arizona state senator, some trips to Germany with the German-American Marshall Fund and a stint as CEO of her family's Tucson tire business.
Fine. Rep. Giffords has hereby placed herself on record. She has claimed more foreign policy gravitas than a two-term President who steered the country through 9/11 and is steering us through our second war.
I wish her the best in convincing the rest of us that she indeed has the personal wisdom and gravitas she claims to possess.
(* But, she DID attend a lot of briefings. Briefings by whom, she didn't say. I'm guessing Markos Zuniga and Medea Benjamin, but I can't be 100% sure).
"Who will stand/On either hand/And guard this bridge with me?" (Macaulay)
look anything like conservative Democrats of old. The Republican "leadership" needs to take a lesson in party discipline from Miss Nancy. While I hope this little episode will encourage the Republicans - including the President - to drop the line that Democrats are just "good folks who see things differently" than we do, I'm not going to be surprised when nothing changes.
____
Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.