The GOP's Earmark No-Brainer

The Wall Street Journal ^ | 11/12/2010 | Kimberley Strassel

[Sarah]

Senate Republicans ran to midterm victory last week hitting every single high note. One week in, they risk ruining the aria with some off-key grunge.

What issue could prove so important that senators would risk blowing up the vision of a GOP unified against spending? Earmarks, of course. You know, the ugly little spending perks that have grown into one of Washington's biggest political liabilities. The pork that earlier this year was unilaterally sworn off (to public praise) by House Republicans, who appear to be ready to do the same even in their new majority.

[Sarah]

These Wall Street Journal guys blow me away... They're so young! and so smart!

Anyway, great to have a bunch or RINOs around to piss on the parade....

[donna]

First, we should call it what it is:

Earmark = Bribe

[Chunga]

What do you mean?

[counterpunch]

Full article via Google.
 

[Robert357]

You have to understand that Patty (Tennis Shoes) Murray (Dem-WA) ran on her superior ear-mark performance record and won re-election in the Senate. During the last week of the campaign she found money for a bridge, she earlier found money for all kinds of high profile public works projects.

Patty promised to dole out “pork” in her Senate campaign. And she won. Just because a few “tea party” radicals ran against ear marks doesn't mean she should be deprived of what she ran on! (/sarcasm)

OK, even the President's deficit commission said to do away with ear marks. Rino’s and Dem's take note, ear marks are on the way out!

[Ruth C]

Maybe if we could ever get the Senators to think about what they are supposed to do constitutionally they’d stop that. Their purpose is to STOP the feds from taking power away from the states, to stop them from imposing things on a state that it is not constitutionally allowed to do!

I know there was a lot of corruption regard senate appointees before they started getting ‘elected’ but there must be a better way so we can get them to think about what they are really supposed to do, keep their state’s power rather than think about how to get re-elected!

[ari-freedom]

Remember 2006
Remember Bob Bennett

[ari-freedom]

If you want free money, you’re going to get it from the democrats. People vote Republican because they are sick and tired of govt handing out the gimme goodies.

[Sarah]

this:
‘instead of Republicans using their air time to pressure President Obama over taxes, they are using precious hours to explain why earmarks are good, moral, even a constitutional duty. ‘

[Repeal The 17th]

“...All those Republicans complaining that earmarks are a tiny part of the budget, and this just a “symbolic” vote? They’ve got one bit right. This is a hugely symbolic vote. The public is watching. And it is long-term credibility at stake. A GOP that is indeed intent on “serious” budget cuts is going to need public support for tough cuts. As GOP House Whip Eric Cantor has pointed out, a public that can’t trust Republicans to fix “small” problems won’t trust them on “large” ones...”

[Sarah]

delusional,
seriously self-deluded.

There is something to ‘drunk with power’

[zeugma]

“...All those Republicans complaining that earmarks are a tiny part of the budget, and this just a “symbolic” vote? They’ve got one bit right. This is a hugely symbolic vote. The public is watching. And it is long-term credibility at stake.

I don't know about the public in general watching them, but those of us who give a damn about this republic are.

A GOP that is indeed intent on “serious” budget cuts is going to need public support for tough cuts. As GOP House Whip Eric Cantor has pointed out, a public that can’t trust Republicans to fix “small” problems won’t trust them on “large” ones...”

Yup. If you can't summon the intestinal fortitude to fix something this 'trivial', then we know you won't do anything that has any actual impact.