But the new Congress hasn't even met yet, they won't until January, and they've ALREADY violated that ban on earmarks. Three days after they agreed not to have any earmarks, the second highest ranking GOP Senator, Senator John Kyle (R-AZ), inserted a $200 million earmark for his state into a spending bill that Obama wanted to pass and that the Senate did, in fact, pass.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40344219/ns/politics-capitol_hill/
Senate Republicans' ban on earmarks — money included in a bill by a lawmaker to benefit a home-state project or interest — was short-lived.
Only three days after GOP senators and senators-elect renounced earmarks, Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, the No. 2 Senate Republican, got himself a whopping $200 million to settle an Arizona Indian tribe's water rights claim against the government.
That's how much the GOP really believes the new line they're selling... three days.
This is a very bad sign. For those who don't think the Republicans will backslide and betray us again, wake up. They're already doing it!
We may see some lip service to a few things, but overall the Republicans seem poised to continue business as usual, with their turn on top to funnel money to their favorite causes... at least in the House.
That's one promise shattered already.
Earmark ban... BUSTED!
Not an earmark. Kyl actually saved us money.
ReplyDeletehttp://hotair.com/archives/2010/11/24/kyl-i-know-i-said-i-was-against-earmarks-but-just-one-wont-hurt-right/
--A fellow libertarian.
Not an earmark? A US Senator requests money be set aside for a specific program in his state, and does so with an amendment inserted into a larger bill... that's the DEFINITION of an earmark.
ReplyDeleteWhether or not it's a "worthy" use of the money isn't the issue. As the people at HotAir said in the link you provided, he should have introduced it as a stand-alone bill and defended it. Then it wouldn't be an earmark, it would be a spending bill.
As it is, Senator Kyl broke his pledge to avoid earmarks. I'm sorry if you disagree, here, but the whole "it isn't really an earmark, it just looks exactly like one" argument falls a bit flat for me.
You should understand that GOP stands for "Good Ole-boys Politicians. :-)
ReplyDelete