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Graham defends earmarks on 'Meet the Press' [and calls for bipartisan McCain-Obama meeting]
The State, Columbia, SC ^ | 2009-03-08

Posted on 03/08/2009 9:28:57 PM PDT by rabscuttle385

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham defended earmarks he inserted in the federal budget, including one U.S. Sen. John McCain, Graham's close friend and the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, listed as one of the "10 Porkiest" projects in the budget.

Graham has also urged President Obama to veto the budget Graham says has too much pork.

Earmarks are one-time spending items members of Congress insert in the budget that are typically sent to projects and programs in their own states.

Graham earmarked $950,000 for the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. He has by one count 37 earmarks in the federal budget.

"I voted to take all earmarks out, but I will come back in the new process and put that back in," Graham said on the show. "Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, we’re trying to build an international airport, an international convention center and open up a new interstate highway to diversify Myrtle Beach’s economy."

(Excerpt) Read more at thestatecom.typepad.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Politics
KEYWORDS: 111th; bipartisanship; earmarks; lindseygraham; mcbama; mccain; mccainbuttboy; mccaintruthfile; mcgrahamnesty; mclameslapdog; mcqueeg; rino; senate; ussenate
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From the "Meet the Press" transcript:

GREGORY: Now, as Senator McCain pointed out, this is a bipartisan disease. Forty percent of the earmarks are from Republicans. That’s $7 billion. Should the president veto this bill?

GRAHAM: Well, I’ll leave that up to the president. We do need earmark reform. I wish he would veto the bill. We’d get back together and come up with the earmark reform process.

Senator McCain does not object to members of Congress designating money to be spent in their state, as long as it has a federal purpose that’s transparent and people understand what the money’s going to be spent for and will have a say about whether or not it’s a good idea.

That system doesn’t exist. I think it would be good for the country if the president and Senator McCain could meet, soon -- sooner rather than later, and come up with a package.

Graham is an unspeakable thing.

1 posted on 03/08/2009 9:28:57 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
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To: stockpirate; ChrisInAR; AvOrdVet; MaggieCarta; indylindy; roamer_1; calcowgirl; djsherin; ...
*Ping!*
2 posted on 03/08/2009 9:29:41 PM PDT by rabscuttle385 ("If this be treason, then make the most of it!" —Patrick Henry)
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To: upchuck

McGrahamnesty ping!


3 posted on 03/08/2009 9:29:55 PM PDT by rabscuttle385 ("If this be treason, then make the most of it!" —Patrick Henry)
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To: rabscuttle385

Graham is an idiot. Fight the islamo-marxist you RINO moron scum.


4 posted on 03/08/2009 9:33:39 PM PDT by Frantzie (Boycott GE - they own NBC, MSNBC, CNBC & Universal. Boycott Disney - they own ABC)
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To: Frantzie

Hey,remember he is a lawyer by trade as are most of the rest of the DC cabal.This is to be expected from lawyers in politics.


5 posted on 03/08/2009 9:42:23 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life is tough.It's even tougher when you're stupid.)
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To: rabscuttle385
As much as I dislike the ploy, I understand the reasoning. The Senator will vote against the budget, as will a lot of Republicans, but if it passes, they want to make sure their constituency gets something.

That way, come the next election, they can blame the Democrats but still get credit for helping “their” people.

6 posted on 03/08/2009 9:43:17 PM PDT by wbarmy (Hard core, extremist, and right-wing is a little too mild for my tastes.)
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To: Frantzie
"Graham is an idiot. Fight the islamo-marxist you RINO moron scum.

I do think Graham is an idiot and somewhat odd. But, this question about Republican asking for earmarks while railing against them is idiotic as well.

Why should Republicans unilaterally disarm from asking for earmarks and let the Dems districts suck them dry. I think the position should be, The GOP doesn't support earmarks and would vote to banish the practice from all legislation. But, while it's still a ongoing phenomena, the GOP will fight to make sure it's districts and states receive an equitable share of Federal disbursements. What's so wrong with that?

7 posted on 03/08/2009 9:44:48 PM PDT by Big_Monkey
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To: rabscuttle385
Senator McCain does not object to members of Congress designating money to be spent in their state

How big of McCain!

Who gives a hoot what the loser thinks!

8 posted on 03/08/2009 9:46:53 PM PDT by lonestar (Obama has turned a crisis into a catastrophe.)
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To: Big_Monkey
But, while it's still a ongoing phenomena, the GOP will fight to make sure it's districts and states receive an equitable share of Federal disbursements. What's so wrong with that?

Exactly, Republicans pay taxes, too, and anyway, it was Barry who "won," having pledged to eliminate earmarks. Now he's reneged, but that's not the story.

9 posted on 03/08/2009 9:53:14 PM PDT by Trailerpark Badass (Happiness is a choice!)
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To: rabscuttle385

Grahmnesty got his nose unstuck from McVain’s ass long enuf to find a microphone, eh?


10 posted on 03/08/2009 9:56:55 PM PDT by webschooner
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To: rabscuttle385

How csn SC give us a great Senator like Jim DeMint, and an A-hole like Grahmnisty?


11 posted on 03/08/2009 9:57:31 PM PDT by wjcsux (0bama- Clinton's dishonesty, Carter's incompetence, and LBJ's arrogance.)
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To: rabscuttle385

The Law Defends Plunder

But it does not always do this. Sometimes the law defends plunder and participates in it. Thus the beneficiaries are spared the shame, danger, and scruple which their acts would otherwise involve. Sometimes the law places the whole apparatus of judges, police, prisons, and gendarmes at the service of the plunderers, and treats the victim — when he defends himself — as a criminal. In short, there is a legal plunder, and it is of this, no doubt, that Mr. de Montalembert speaks.

This legal plunder may be only an isolated stain among the legislative measures of the people. If so, it is best to wipe it out with a minimum of speeches and denunciations — and in spite of the uproar of the vested interests. - Frédéric Bastiat

Lindsey Graham rino/rat plunderer. Tarred and feathered is too mild.


12 posted on 03/08/2009 10:07:42 PM PDT by PGalt
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To: wjcsux
Wasn't always this way. He changed, an abrupt about face, along about the time of the Clinton impeachment hearings.

So, what do you think happened? Dirt, imho. Been marching to their tune ever since.

If he were still voting as a good conservative, I'd lay off the Pandsey crap. But, he's not. And, that's what put him over a barrel to start with, again imho.

13 posted on 03/08/2009 10:07:52 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: RegulatorCountry

Maybe the RATS got something on him.


14 posted on 03/08/2009 10:15:55 PM PDT by wjcsux (0bama- Clinton's dishonesty, Carter's incompetence, and LBJ's arrogance.)
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To: wjcsux

Well, yes.

Give ya three guesses and the first two don’t count, lol.

Again, imho.


15 posted on 03/08/2009 10:17:51 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: rabscuttle385

“Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, we’re trying to build an international airport, an international convention center and open up a new interstate highway to diversify Myrtle Beach’s economy.”

That’s fantastic, I’m happy for you. But why don’t you pay for it yourselves?


16 posted on 03/08/2009 10:31:41 PM PDT by ConservativeColumns
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To: rabscuttle385
Graham is between a rock and a hard place. Obviously, his belief is that since the rats are going to load up bills with earmarks for their states, then why should he leave his own state out in the cold just to make a point?

Graham is inarticulate, but what he should simply say is, "Ideally, we should pass genuine earmark reform where nobody can load up the budget with pork but as it stands, I either recover whatever South Carolina tax dollars I can bring back to South Carolina, or I let the rats run off with all of it for their own states."

17 posted on 03/08/2009 10:46:55 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: rabscuttle385

How can we fight waste in Government when we have Republicans accounting for 40% of the earmarks? Just like amnesty supporting senators, we need to find all the wasteful spenders also and fight them in the primaries. Either we are a conservative party or we need to go support a smaller party. PRINCIPLES FIRST, Party second!!!!


18 posted on 03/08/2009 11:36:17 PM PDT by nckerr (www.myspace.com/ArmyKerrFamily)
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To: rabscuttle385; alarm rider; Alex1977; at bay; Babsig; BILL_C; bnelson44; Clintonfatigued; ...
Lindsey Ping
"Republican by day, Democrat by night."

Add me to the list. / Remove me from the list.

19 posted on 03/09/2009 4:36:50 AM PDT by upchuck (I'm glad I'm old. Thus I can remember when America was a decent, moral, God fearing country.)
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To: rabscuttle385
I voted to take all earmarks out, but I will come back in the new process and put that back in," Graham said

So he would vote to remove earmarks only to come back and put them back in again? Makes sense...if you're a politician, I guess.

20 posted on 03/09/2009 4:42:06 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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