Redstate

Posted at 11:33pm on Jun. 27, 2008 Earmarxist Don Young Named American Taxpayer Hero

He might be good on taxes, but he's horrible on spending

By Bluey

Rep. Don Young, the Alaska Republican who says he's proud to have sponsored the "Bridge to Nowhere" earmark, was named a "Hero of the American Taxpayer" yesterday by a coalition of anti-tax groups.

The award is based on a number of key votes, "which have always been primarily about taxes much more than spending," according to Americans for Tax Reform. Still, based on a previous list of winners, it paints a bad picture. Past "heroes" have included convicted criminal Duke Cunningham and Dennis Hastert, who oversaw the explosion of pork-barrel spending as House speaker.

In a press release sent by Young's office today, the lone Alaska congressman boasts, "Making sure that the hard-earned money of the American people stays in the pockets of those who earn it and not the government coffers, has always been a priority of mine."

Then, later in the day, Young's office bragged about $58 million worth of pork-barrel projects he had secured for Alaskans. "I never take the ability to get funding for these projects for granted," he said, without noting, of course, that the money comes from taxpayers like you and me.

Young has always been an egregious earmarker, but the $398 million he secured for the "Bridge to Nowhere" topped it all. In April he again came under attack from his colleagues in the House and Senate, who voted to support a Department of Justice investigation into the so-called "Coconut Road" earmark -- a pork project inserted into a bill after it had already passed.

Posted in Congress | Corruption | Don Young | Earmarks — Comments (18)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:03am on Jun. 13, 2008 McCain's Top Surrogate Is Senate's No. 1 Porker

Pork Projects Make a Comeback

By Bluey

New data on congressional pork-barrel spending reveals that Sen. Joe Lieberman, a top surrogate to Sen. John McCain, has requested the most pork in the defense authorization bill.

Lieberman leads the way with 14 earmarks that cost $292 million, according to a report in the Washington Post that cites data from Taxpayers for Common Sense.

The contrast between the anti-earmark crusader McCain and the pork-loving Lieberman couldn't be more stark. If elected president, McCain has promised to veto legislation that includes pork-barrel spending. Earmarks have a corrupting influence on Congress, and McCain sees eliminating them as a key component to cleaning up Washington.

The next two weeks are likely to feature several debates on pork-barrel spending with Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) wanting the House GOP to hold a conference-wide vote that bans earmarks.

Posted in Congress | Earmarks | Joe Lieberman | John McCain | Pork-Barrel Politics — Comments (1)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 5:28pm on Jun. 11, 2008 Conservatives Complain GOP's Earmark Plan Doesn't Go Far Enough

Act Now, Not Later

By Bluey

As House Republicans unveiled their economic agenda today, conservatives expressed disappointment that it does nothing to address earmark reform now and instead calls for an "immediate moratorium" in the future. The document was drafted to lay out the GOP's agenda in January 2009 if Republicans reclaim control of the House.

Earmark critics, however, say that view is completely unrealistic. They think a total ban on earmarks must be instituted today because the chances of Republicans taking back the House are slim. "We need to lead by example and differentiate ourselves," a conservative staffer told me. "The economic agenda today will allow earmarks this year and the next if Republicans do not win the House. No fundamental change from the status quo."

The struggle over earmarks is reflected in the differing views of two GOP leaders: Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) and Policy Chairman Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.). The Hill reported the conflict earlier this week with Hensarling demanding action now and McCotter opposed to a "one-size-fits-all ban." In a memo released this afternoon, Hensarling reiterated his support for a ban. He could press the issue by bringing it to a conference-wide vote.

As I reported on RedState last night, the GOP's economic agenda includes many conservative proposals, including a flat tax, free-market health care, entitlement reform, balanced budget and energy production. Yet earmarks remain a sticking point despite Minority Leader John Boehner's attempt to reach a consensus.

Conservatives don't dispute the laudable policy goals included as part of the economic agenda -- many developed by the Republican Study Committee. But that's no excuse to take a pass on earmark reform today. Although it remains a divisive issue for Republicans, Hensarling should keep fighting for a ban on pork-barrel projects. Boehner faces no easy task bringing the GOP together, but he should view this as an opportunity for the GOP to distinguish itself from Democrats in advance of November's elections.

Posted in Congress | Congress | Earmarks | Jeb Hensarling | Republicans — Comments (6)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:45pm on Jun. 10, 2008 House GOP's Bold Economic Agenda

Earmark Moratorium, Flat Tax Among Policy Goals

By Bluey

House Republicans will unveil their economic agenda tomorrow with proposals to end earmarks, simplify the tax code and increase energy production. The GOP's agenda should excite conservatives, who will recognize many of the policy goals as long-sought objectives.

For the past 18 months in the minority, Republicans have struggled to unify around a specific set of policy goals. Their economic agenda comes one month after they promoted an "American Families Agenda." Two other policy plans will be unveiled in the coming months.

The centerpiece of the economic agenda is spending and tax reform. The proposal calls for an "immediate moratorium on congressional earmarks," which constitutes remarkable progress for House Republicans. The GOP was unable to arrive at that goal earlier this year following its retreat. But after pressure from Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.), conservatives apparently won over Boehner, who has long opposed pork-barrel projects. (Note: Although this plan would impose a moratorium on future earmarks, conservatives are still insisting on one this year.)

On tax reform, Republicans are proposing a "two-tier flat tax system that can be filed on one page," a bold move that moves beyond tinkering with the existing tax code. While it certainly won't satisfy FairTax supporters, it differs drastically from anything Democrats have proposed. Americans will be dealt the largest tax increase in history if liberals have their way in Congress.

Other goals that are noteworthy include:

• Passing entitlement reform that addresses the problems facing Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
• Balancing the federal budget by 2012 without raising taxes.
• Prohibiting federal spending from growing faster than the economy.
• Extending the current welfare work requirements to food stamps and housing.
• Making portability a central component of health care reform.

Posted in Congress | Congress | Earmarks | Energy | Flat Tax | Republicans | Spending — Comments (49)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:02am on Apr. 4, 2008 Steny Hoyer: Blackmail Still In Play For The Supplemental

Give me my pork, or Soldiers will be left twisting in the cool breeze of a Democrat majority

By haystack

Our dear friend Steny Hoyer is no stranger to mucking things up in Congress. He has a passion for delaying and withholding and obstructing and otherwise putting off anything meaningful that might come out of Congress until he gets something for himself out of it.

The esteemed Mr. Hoyer is ALSO no stranger to the Democrat strategy of talking out of both sides of one's mouth. Hoyer says via the AP piece:

"I think policy needs to be changed," but as long as troops are deployed "those troops need to be supported."

Hmm.

Why, then, did Hoyer tell Roy Blunt on the House floor yesterday that "other things" were being discussed before the much-needed supplemental for our Soldiers would get any closer to being done?

"There are obviously needs in addition to Iraq that are being discussed, and I would tell my friend that those discussions are ongoing," said House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.) said. "A decision on what may or may not be added in addition to the supplemental that may be necessary for Iraq – there may be other things – that decision has not been made at this point in time."

Mr. Hoyer, at this point in time Soldiers are still in Iraq and are still in need of supplies and ammunition and all the other things "those troops need to be supported."

As Blunt's release indicates:

Republicans are committed to giving our troops in the field the resources, equipment and supplies they need to complete their mission and return home successful. Now is the time for Democrats to permanently shelve their failed ‘slow-bleed’ strategy, pass a clean troop supplemental and stop using the needs of our troops as blackmail for special interest projects

Can we please let go of Katrina, or at least detach it from the war in Iraq? Can we PLEASE focus single-mindedly on the ONE Iraq supplemental and put all the blackmail earmarks in something ELSE?

How about you guys on the Left hold up FISA to get your lard, keep us at risk here at home, and leave the deployed men and women OUT of your little schoolyard shenanigans?

m'kay?

Posted in Congress | Earmarks | Steny Hoyer | suplemental spending | trolling for lard dollars — Comments (0)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:15am on Mar. 31, 2008 Everyone Loses in the Earmark Game

By Senator John Cornyn

Many of my colleagues profess to be bewildered by the extremely low poll ratings being generated by the current U.S. Congress. They hear that the public is not happy with the way Washington operates, but they don’t believe they need to do anything about that -- as if all that unhappiness was somebody else’s problem, and not their own.

I’m not so sure. I believe the public discontent can be accurately sourced, and Congressional earmarking process has become a symbol for wasteful and undisciplined federal spending. Earlier this month, I joined a bipartisan group calling for a one year moratorium on all earmarks. That effort failed. We missed a major opportunity to show we are serious about tightening our Congressional belts during a difficult economic period.

Read on.

Posted in Anti-Pork | Congress | Earmarks | John Cornyn — Comments (23)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:17pm on Mar. 3, 2008 Redstate Roundtable #4: The GOP/Conservative Domestic Agenda 2009-2012

By Neil Stevens

For this week's roundtable, let's discuss what Republicans in general and conservatives in particular should pursue as our top domestic federal legislative priorities over the next four years. Obviously, if McCain is elected, or if the GOP recaptures at least one House of Congress in November, we will have a foothold from which Republicans can propose a legislative agenda of our own. If none of those things happen, we should still consider what our agenda should look like besides (as the late Bill Buckley would say) simply standing athwart Obamania shouting "stop."

Read on for the discussion...

Posted in Earmarks | Medical Care | Policy | Redstate Roundtable | Schools | Social Security | Spending | taxes — Comments (64) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 4:37pm on Feb. 28, 2008 McCain Backs Amendment to Halt Congressional Earmarks

GOP Frontrunner Endorses DeMint’s One-Year Moratorium

By Bluey

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) picked up the support of the GOP's presidential nominee-in-waiting today to institute a one-year moratorium on earmarks. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he favors DeMint’s amendment, and he promised to lobby his fellow Senate Republicans to get behind the effort.

“I absolutely would support such an amendment -- and abolish [earmarks] altogether,” McCain told conservative bloggers on a conference call this afternoon. “As I’ve said, I will veto any earmark project that comes across my desk.”

DeMint will offer the one-year earmark moratorium as an amendment to the Democrats’ budget proposal in two weeks when the Senate takes up debate on the floor. His schedule permitting, McCain said he would make the trip to Washington to vote for the measure.

“I really can’t tell you, traveling and campaigning now for many months, how dispirited the Bridge to Nowhere or earmark and pork-barrel spending was to our Republican base,” he said. “We lost in 2006 not because of Iraq but because spending got out of control.”

Last year Democrats passed nearly 12,000 earmarks costing more than $17 billion -- figures that far surpassed totals from a year earlier. The Democrats’ broken promises to clean up the earmarking process prompted House Republicans to endorse a one-year moratorium. While Senate GOP leaders haven’t gone as far as their House counterparts, DeMint said the only way to fix the system is to quit cold turkey. In order to do so, he needs all Republicans on board.

Posted in Congress | Earmarks | Jim DeMint | John McCain | Pork-Barrel Politics — Comments (17)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:30am on Feb. 28, 2008 Republican Earmarxists Try to Smear Pork Opponent

Desperate, pork-loving Republicans turn on one of their own

By Bluey

Rep. John Campbell is under attack from members of his own party for his tough stance on earmarks. Republican earmarxists, angered by Campbell's criticism of pork-barrel spending, are accusing the California Republican of hypocrisy for introducing a bill they claim is an earmark. Campbell has since pulled the legislation.

There is some dispute as to whether Campbell's bill amounted to the definition of an "earmark" because it was a stand-alone bill, which followed the normal legislative process. But because it would have authorized the expenditure of $2.5 million for a desalination project in his district, it was close enough to prompt Campbell to withdraw it from consideration.

Campbell's decision to pull the bill came on the same day, Feb. 12, he visited the Heritage Foundation, where he attacked Republican earmarks and criticized Republicans for not going far enough in their pursuit of reform. The smear campaign against Campbell dates back to at least to that day. I know because I received an e-mail tip from a Republican Hill staffer who prodded me to question Campbell about the desalination project; I didn't take the bait.

Feeling unsatisfied two weeks later, someone in the GOP ranks leaked the information to The Hill, which reported the story Wednesday night.

This isn't the first time an earmark reformer has faced these kinds of attacks. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) came under fire from Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) in 2003 for defense-related earmarks; the episode served as a "turning point" in Flake's quest to end wasteful government spending, according to his spokesman.

Campbell seems to have learned a lesson as well. He told The Hill he wouldn't let earmarxists distract him from reform. Of the desalination project, he said, "Even if it's totally right I shouldn't do it before the process is reformed. ... No bill is more important than [earmark reform]."

Campbell did the right thing when he pulled the bill. Yet even though he made the correct decision, Republican earmarxists couldn't resist the opportunity to attack. I'd expect this shallowness from Democrats, but for Republicans to turn on one of their own confirms that pork-loving lawmakers are getting pretty desperate.

Posted in Congress | Congress | Earmarks | Pork-Barrel Politics — Comments (0)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:57pm on Feb. 14, 2008 House Republicans Aren't Serious About Earmark Reform

Steering Committee Puts Rep. Jo Bonner on Appropriations

By Bluey

Just when it appeared House Republicans had turned the corner on earmark reform, party leaders did the unthinkable. They picked Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) for the vacant seat on the Appropriations Committee, bypassing conservative Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and the opportunity to show they were committed to real reform.

Bonner may talk a good game when it comes to earmark reform. However, his record is abysmal. The three-term Republican scored just 2% on the Club for Growth's 2007 RePORK Card, meaning he voted for just one of the 50 anti-pork amendments offered by conservatives. Andy Roth notes that's the same score as liberal Reps. Steny Hoyer, Bill Jefferson and James Moran. Flake, on the other hand, not only supported all 50, but he introduced many himself.

The National Taxpayers Union scorecard paints an even worse picture. While Flake was earning A's consistently, Bonner was receiving B's and C's. Flake scored 92% in 2006, whereas Bonner had a pathetic 55% on NTU's scorecard for all tax, spending, trade and regulatory votes.

Americans for Prosperity president Tim Phillips called it "a huge missed opportunity for true earmark reform and for the Republican Party."

Of course, Bonner's record didn't stop Minority Leader John Boehner from trying to spin this as a victory for earmark reformers.

Jo Bonner was chosen because he symbolizes the changing perspective in the House Republican ranks on the role of earmarks, and the emerging consensus among Republicans on the need to fundamentally change Washington’s broken spending process.

Boehner should be smarter than to feed us this line of bull. Even though Flake demonstrated his commitment to reform by taking tough votes year after year, the House Republican Steering Committee decided Bonner's convenient change in rhetoric was enough to pacify taxpayers.

We cannot let the Steering Committee get away with this sham. Below is a list of the Steering Committee. Call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and make your voice heard.

Continued on the jump...

Posted in Congress | Earmarks | Jo Bonner | John Boehner | Pork-Barrel Politics — Comments (21)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:25pm on Feb. 13, 2008 McCain Calls on Republicans to Give Up Pet Projects

Presumptive nominee backs immediate earmark moratorium

By Bluey

Following a closed-door meeting with House Republicans this morning, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) told bloggers that he supports the immediate earmark moratorium proposed by Minority Leader John Boehner and other GOP leaders. McCain also reiterated his pledge to veto any bills that contain earmarks if he's elected president.

In response to a question from Rob Neppell, co-founder of Porkbusters, McCain outlined his views on the current earmark debate:

I think that if we had a moratorium on earmarks, it would be one of the most energizing things for our base. ... I think they would be overjoyed. Every town hall meeting, particularly Republican gatherings, you mention the “Bridge to Nowhere” and everybody knows it. It’s more famous than the Brooklyn Bridge.

I’m not telling [Republicans] what they should do, you know, I’m telling them what I would do. And I don’t pretend to dictate whatever my Republican colleagues do, but I’m trying to lead them in telling them that the earmarks and pork-barrel spending and corruption has harmed our base and reduced the enthusiasm for our party and our candidates, and the sooner as we fix it, I think the better off we’re gonna be.

McCain's statement followed yesterday's stunning news that Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), a close confidant of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, would break ranks with the rest of his party's leadership to swear off earmarks this year.

Continued on the jump ...

Posted in Congress | Earmarks | John McCain | Pork-Barrel Politics — Comments (33)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:36pm on Feb. 4, 2008 Republicans Gearing Up for Earmark Showdown With Democrats

By Congressman Jeb Hensarling

Two weeks ago, the Republican Conference – under the leadership of Congressman John Boehner – adopted several self-imposed guidelines to begin reforming the broken down earmark process.  Though I believe that as Republicans we need to go even further by adopting a full year long earmarking moratorium while significantly changing the earmarking system as we know it today, our House Republican leaders deserve credit for making earmark reform a top priority.  

Conservatives consistently make the case that the earmarking process has too often lent itself to the triumph of seniority over merit, secrecy over transparency, and the special interest over the national interest.  And though I am disappointed by the refusal of Democrats to work with Republicans to fix the broken earmark system, I can’t say that I am shocked by it.   Are you?

When it comes to earmarks, Democrats seem to be eating their pork from two different troughs.  They failed to live up to a promise to cut the number of taxpayer funded earmarks in half.  Democrats broke another promise to bring greater transparency to the process and instead attempted to keep earmarks hidden from the view of the taxpayers who pay for them.  Not to be outdone by her caucus, Speaker Pelosi tells reporters that she’d personally get rid of all earmarks while remaining one of the largest earmarkers in the House – and that is saying something.

People see earmarks as the poster children of fiscal irresponsibility, the kissing cousin to unethical behavior, and an all too frequent enabler of unlawful acts.  Worse, the emerging pattern of campaign donations coming in one door and taxpayer funded earmarks going out of the other is nothing short of corrupt.   

Despite their abysmal approval ratings, it is clear that Democrats are satisfied with business as usual in Washington.  At a time when families across America are tightening their belts, it is an utter embarrassment for some in Congress to continue to waste taxpayer money on monuments to themselves, lobster institutes, and hippie museums.  On behalf of each of you, your families, and taxpayers across the country, we pledge to use every method at our disposal to bring the broken earmark process to an immediate halt.

Posted in Congress | Earmarks — Comments (17)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:53pm on Jan. 24, 2008 US Economy To The Democrats: "Don't Taze Me Bro!"

OR: "Please Mr. Custer...I don't wanna go"

By haystack

[h/t FBI]

Disclaimer...I am NOT a professional fisherman... but I know the smell of rotten fish, and THIS reeks of Boston Harbor at sunset in August ladies and gentlemen:

I am pleased the Speaker and the House Minority Leader, working with Secretary Paulson, have reached an agreement to send stimulus checks for individuals and provide tax relief to businesses. And I am proud that Democratic negotiators were able to secure tax relief for millions of Americans who would have been completely left out of the President’s proposal.

In an effort to get the bipartisan process moving in the Senate, Finance Committee Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Grassley will conduct a markup of stimulus proposals next week. I expect that the Committee and other Senators will work to improve the House package by adding funds for other initiatives that can boost the economy immediately, such as unemployment benefits, nutrition assistance, state relief and infrastructure investment. I look forward to this proposal’s quick passage in the House so that the Senate can debate these provisions soon and meet my goal of sending the President a package by the President’s Day recess.

My head is exploding. Harry Reid credits Democrats for helping folks President Bush would have ignored (false), and he means to mark this thing up and ADD initiatives. Can you spell earmarks? Yeah, I thought you could. I personally believe this so-called stimulus package is a bad idea, but it's pretty clear that Harry and Nance mean to spend our grandchildren into the poorhouse. Gotta love this do-nothing Congress...if a pig can be made to fly, these cats have all the pork we need to get 'em off the ground.

Note to Reid:

Dear Harry...You might have spent a little more time with your stick buddy over there running "my house" passing spending bills we DESPERATELY needed last year, and a little LESS time whining and complaining about a war you still can't seem to find a way to force us to lose.

Instead, we find ourselves faced with a crisis you two are personally complicit in having helped create, and you're STILL going to make us pay for it by redistributing our collective wealth to people that haven't even paid IN to the system...and for what?!?!? so they might go throw a little of it down at the local Wal Mart...?

This whole thing is a disaster...

The Republicans have tried, and ARE trying, to elicit a little restraint from the Democrat spendaholics, but only time will tell if they can succeed. Blunt said as much in a presser today so there's room for hope at least...

Blunt, and what the Dems are trying to pull off here, below the fold...

Posted in Democrats | Earmarks | Hand-Outs for the undeserving | Policy | pork | Shameless Pandering Democrats — Comments (11)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:30am on Jan. 14, 2008 "The Pork King Keeps His Crown"

Voters won't mess with the man who brings home the Bacon.

By Jeff Emanuel

Credit where credit is due: the New York Times came up with that article title, and I just had to "appropriate" it for use here.

Anyway, Abscam Jack Murtha made another seriously good haul for his district in 2007, bringing home $162 million in pork and favors, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan budget watchdog group. Such huge district favors are nothing new for the would-be House leader, who has spent years buying his permanent place in Congress by bringing home bacon by the tonne.

Besides Abscam and Pork, Murtha is best known, of course, for being the most outspoken (and uninformed) critic on Capitol Hill of the Iraq War, the Bush defense policy, and of the military as a whole. However, he had an eleventh-hour change of tune on Iraq this winter, when he went back on months of attacks and rampages and actually cited "progress" on his return from a Thanksgiving-week trip to Iraq -- a move which fit into the shifting narrative on that country (as seen by Congressmen suddenly admitting progress there, and by the media dropping Iraq as a topic altogether) far too well (and countered his previous, venemously-defended positions far too strongly) to be sincere.

Read on.

Posted in Abscam Jack Murtha | Democrats | Earmarks | Liberals — Comments (7)/ Email this page » / Read More »