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Posted on 02/13/2012 5:53:49 PM PST by STARWISE
n his New York Times bestselling book, Throw Them All Out, Breitbart editor Peter Schweizer revealed how members of Congress enrich themselves and their relatives using earmarks and insider information. Now, the Washington Post, following in Schweizer’s footsteps, has conducted a study that found 16 members of Congress have used their power of the purse to benefit companies, colleges, and community groups tied to their relatives.
*snip*
Among those cited in the Washington Post report were the following (below):
(Excerpt) Read more at biggovernment.com ...
I bought and read the Kindle version. Recommened read. The author cites these examples but you got to know there are many more.
I think there’s some smoke and mirrors going on here. Representatives who get government funds for projects in their state, often get them for their district, and thus near their home.
I would have to know a lot more about this, before I’d blindly sign on to this hit squad.
Darrel Issa is a good man. Seeing him listed here as one of the men getting high dollars for his district, makes me wonder what’s really going on here.
Issa is currently going after Obama, Holder, and company. How much of this is related to payback?
I am also reminded, this is an election year, and the Washington Post has NEVER EVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS, come even close to giving a damn about excess spending.
Why now? I say this is an attempt to try to foster trouble in an effort to flip the House.
BINGO! bttt
Sen. Tim Johnson’s son was recently appointed US District Attorney for South Dakota...gee do you think there was any influence used???
History says 90+% of them will be re-elected. Nobody cares about this type of stuff. Americans are too busy with Whitney Houston, then next week’s celebrity scandal/crime/death, then the week after that’s.
They need to be targeted in the primaries, the Campaign for Primary Accountability is promoting that idea.
LLS
Earmark near personal property: $3.3 million
FYI. Isn't this guy running to unseat Claire?????
Please keep me informed about Wicker’s TEA Party challenger.
Yep, Cochran is supposed to retire and he’s finished regardless.
Thank you.
AMEN!
LLS
This is a big problem. A few hundred thousand here, a few hundred thousand there, and it adds up to real money.
People act like it’s going to be a great day when the NYT and Washington Post are no longer around, but these stories show that they still are capable of producing some admirable work.
Yes. I interviewed Rep. Akin briefly a week ago but this issue didn't come up and wasn't on the radar screen for me to think about asking. He has two primary opponents, Brunner and Steelman.
We need to remember there is a conservative case to be made for earmarks. Would we rather have our elected officials designating where money goes, or unelected bureaucrats? I realize earmarking has gotten a bad reputation, and deservedly so, but especially for past earmarks we need to look at every one on a case-by-case basis. I don't have a problem with an elected official using his influence to get a project his district needs, especially years ago when most people on both sides of the aisle considered that to be the job of the elected officials.
54 posted on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 4:58:55 AM by juno67: “People act like it’s going to be a great day when the NYT and Washington Post are no longer around, but these stories show that they still are capable of producing some admirable work.”
Media are important.
Free Republic is doing a lot of good work. So are lots of other conservative websites.
But how many FReepers are going to local city council meetings and school boards and county commission, reporting how elected officials spend money on the local level? Is there a FReeper sitting in the press section of the U.S. House of Representatives, the US Senate, and their committees, and filing daily reports on their deliberations and decisions?
That's what the media are for. It's at least theoretically possible that Free Republic could someday hire a national correspondent to cover Congress, but that someday is not today, and until the internet media can figure out a way to raise the kind of money it takes to pay for Washington bureau reporters and support staff, we're pretty much stuck with the existing media situation.
I think we'll have a whole different ballgame in a decade or so, but right now what we have is what we've got.
Folks, this is The Washington Post. Skepticism is called-for.
Go to the website (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/capitol-assets/mapping-the-earmarks/) and read for yourself.
This looks to be nothing more than an attempt to have an effect on the 2012 elections. Sure, there are pokes at Democrats, but who really thinks Pelosi will be toppled by it?
After a bunch of clicks, all it has is the following:
Between 2005 and 2009, Akin helped secure $3.3 million to upgrade part of Route 141 in his district west of St. Louis. Less than a half-mile east of Route 141, Akin and his family own nine acres. Akin’s family has applied to construct six homes on the land. His spokesman said Akin’s land had no bearing on his support for the earmarks. “It is going to be helpful as a connector but not helpful for residential property values whatsoever,” he said.
Gee,Caligula’s horse would have worked for a bag of oats!
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