McCain raps Congress for bridge collapse [and rips Alaska]

AP ^ | August 04, 2007 | By MIKE GLOVER

[jdm]

ANKENY, Iowa - Republican John McCain said Saturday that Congress could share in the blame for the Minnesota bridge collapse because lawmakers diverted billions of dollars in transportation money from road work to pet projects.

"I think perhaps you can make the argument that part of the responsibility lies with the Congress of the United States," the Arizona senator said.

McCain said Congress spent roughly $20 billion on special-interest projects when it approved a new highway bill, signed into law by President Bush.

"We spent approximately $20 billion of that money on pork barrel, earmark projects," said McCain. "Maybe if we had done it right, maybe some of that money would have gone to inspect those bridges and other bridges around the country. Maybe the 200,000 people who cross that bridge every day would have been safer than spending $233 million of your tax dollars on a bridge in Alaska to an island with 50 people on it."

McCain spoke during a town hall-style meeting with activists, saying he was angered not just by Congress wasting money on special projects, but also by it approving reform packages he labeled a sham.

"I'm angry today because we just had a chance to reform this process in Washington and we punted," said McCain. "We pushed off on the American people a joke and a sham in the name of earmark reform."

The term "earmark" refers to projects favored by individual lawmakers that are inserted into larger spending packages, often winning approval without debate.

Meeting with reporters after his session, McCain deflected questions about whether the bridge collapse could have been avoided if more had been spent on safety and inspections.

"The tragedy of the bridge over the Mississippi River is one that I don't know if it could have been avoided or not," McCain said. "Clearly inspections are needed of bridges and that's why the Department of Transportation has ordered them."

In the wake of the deadly collapse, federal transportation officials and those in many states have stepped up their inspections of bridges of a similar design to the one that collapsed into the Mississippi River.

The Senate has overwhelmingly approved legislation backers said is aimed at reforming the process of individual lawmakers slipping special projects into spending packages, but McCain dismissed that effort.

"We just completed a joke and a sham on the American people with pretended reform that we just passed," said McCain. "It does not attack seriously the earmark."

McCain also waded into a local controversy that could put him at odds with Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. Grassley has supported $50 million in funding for development of an indoor rain forest in Iowa, a plan that critics see as the epitome of pork barrel.

McCain used that rain forest as he recited a list of over-the-top spending projects Congress approved.

"Do you think even the people of Iowa think we need an indoor rain forest in Iowa?" asked McCain. McCain said he was being critical of the process that led to approval of the rain forest, a culture that's led to outrageous growth in spending.

"That's what's bred the corruption in Washington, that's what's caused members of Congress to be in jail," said McCain. "The most egregious of these pork barrel projects are on highway bills which are intended not for bridges to nowhere, not for museums, not for bike paths, but to make transportation safe and available to all Americans."

Saturday's swing was the first public campaign event McCain has held in Iowa since he slashed deeply into his campaign staff because of money troubles. After making that announcement, he made one low-key swing through the state but only met privately with staffers and key backers.

[jdm]

Maybe the 200,000 people who cross that bridge every day would have been safer than spending $233 million of your tax dollars on a bridge in Alaska to an island with 50 people on it."

Ouch.

[lesser_satan]

Maybe, but we don't even know what caused it yet. I'll give McCain the benefit of the doubt simply because the demoKKKrats started the finger pointing, but I'd rather it be left alone until the NTSB investigation is done.

As an aside, I found out that my best friend's sister drove under the bridge at 6:00, just 5 or 10 minutes before it went down.

[Jeff Chandler]

Once again, McCain behaves like a liberal, making political hay by assessing blame for a disaster whose cause has yet to be determined. What a maroon!

[Perdogg]

I am so sick and tired of this immature crap. Things happen. And I am sick and tired of politicians walking over the dead for their own political benefit.

[Lurker]

Hey Senator McCain,

Maybe more money would have been available for 'transportation' if it hadn't been necessary to bail out the Savings and Loan industry a few years back.

But I suppose bringing up the Keating Five isn't 'fair'.

This clown needs to sit down and STFU.

L

[Jeff Chandler]

my best friend's sister drove under the bridge at 6:00, just 5 or 10 minutes before it went down.

Coincidence, or is their some humorous connection to be expounded upon by cruel Freepers?

[Jeff Chandler]

there

[freespirited]

Exactly what we have come to expect from Mr. “I’d rather lose than pander to win an election.”

[lesser_satan]

She does seem to have an uncanny propensity toward being near strange events.

[jwparkerjr]

He might be a bit off base with the statement about the bridge, but he’s certainly on target with disdain for the earmark process. It’s an abomination and there’s no telling how much of the taxpayers’ money have been wasted over the years because of it.

That’s one of a couple of things to be watched carefully as an indicator of how serious Congress is in controlling spending and returning some semblance of fiscal responsibility.

I am convinced the only answer is to turn out everyone of them and start all over. Some of those who are there are worthy of their position, but for the most part none of them is without blame.

I wish we could vote for our own candidate and one from any other state!

[SouthTexas]

"Maybe if we had done it right, maybe some of that money would have gone to inspect those bridges and other bridges around the country.

I doubt it.

[MNJohnnie]

The Senator did good here. I don’t like him, butI will give him credit for this

We did this to ourselves. If anyone is to blame it us for electing the same clowns year after year after year after year because they “bring money into the district”.

[BigBobber]

"We spent approximately $20 billion of that money on pork barrel, earmark projects," said McCain. "Maybe if we had done it right, maybe some of that money would have gone to inspect those bridges and other bridges around the country. Maybe the 200,000 people who cross that bridge every day would have been safer than spending $233 million of your tax dollars on a bridge in Alaska to an island with 50 people on it."

McLame is right this time - and this is the major reason why GOP no longer runs congress.

Acting like Dems with pork spending does not keep Republicans in power. Have they learned that lesson yet? I doubt it.

[AuntB]

Gee, Mr. McCain, what effect do you suppose 20 million illegal aliens has on our infrastructure? Oh, silly me, I forgot you told us that THEY are what built this country!!! Please tell them they’re falling behind.....

Don’t worry, the infrastructure will improve when we allow more MExican Trucks per NAFTA and the Bush administration to drive our bridges and roads. Afterall, they’ve been telling us that illegal immigration is the ONLY reason this country works!

Strange that no one mentions the fact that 20 million illegal aliens require the inftrastructure of 17 states population! Maybe we could fix a bridge instead of building more Mexican Consulates in every city at tax payer expense.

According to the 2000 census, 18,785,867 is the total populations combined of Wyoming, Dist. of Columbia, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, Montana, Rhode Island, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Maine, Idaho, Nebraska, West Virginia, New Mexico and Nevada.

THINK about that.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1840655/posts

[CindyDawg]

I wish the states would just stop direct depositing into the federal checking account.

[econjack]

McCain spoke during a town hall-style meeting with activists, saying he was angered not just by Congress wasting money on special projects, but also by it approving reform packages he labeled a sham.

Bush has asked for the power of the line item veto and all of you bozos in Washington refuse because all of you want your pork barrel projects. Rather than giving lip service, just give the President line item veto power.

[ClaireSolt]

I saw one history of bridge collapses on the news. They found exactly three since 1950. Not exactly an urgent crusis, if you ask me.

[jocko12]

McNuts mouth is running again.

[Biblebelter]

As a member of the Keating Five, McCain has a first hand understanding of corruption. As far as his comments, they cannot be argued with, but as always with McCain, any time he stumbles on to the truth, his timing and motivation must be questioned and the impact of anything truthful that he might say is lessened.

[ASOC]

Sigh

No bridge in Alaska was built. Check yur FACTS Sen LameBrain.

Oh, BTW, how many billions went into the Central Arizona Project, you know taking water from the Colorado river to Feenix?

How about - In 1971, the Central Arizona Water Conservation District was created...
Construction began at Lake Havasu in 1973 and was completed twenty years later south of Tucson. The entire project cost over $4 billion to construct. (The soure did not say how much over 4Bn is really cost)

A bit of additional data
What cost $10 in 1971 would cost $50.16 in 2006.