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Odd. I thought earmarks and pork were the root of all our problems.
“The president needs to come out and say that he’ll veto any appropriations bill that has an earmark or pork-barrel project tacked onto it. We need to be very focused on eliminating the deficit.”
“I think the president missed a golden opportunity to really fulfill his campaign commitment to not sign bills that have a lot of wasteful spending and are overburdened with earmarks,” Boehner said.
Earmarks have created a culture of corruption in Congress that wastes billions of tax dollars on special interest projects–like pork in the stimulus bill, the “Cornhusker Kickback,” and the Wall Street bailout–and allows party leaders to bribe politicians for their votes.
Candidate Obama promised us that his economic stimulus package would be targeted and pork-free, but President Obama signed a stimulus bill loaded with pork and goodies for corporate cronies.
“There is no question that we’ve got to change this entire process [on earmarks]. It is a system gone bad.”
Washington is addicted to spending and earmarks are the gateway drug to enormous debt. We need to stop earmarks and require a balanced budget.
Earmarxism is an appropriate term because earmarks are a tool career politicians use to reinforce the belief that the average citizen needs the federal government, and their individual member of Congress, to provide for their basic needs.
But in response to Shelby’s Pork Putsch?
Crickets.
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Fixed it for ya.
Will Republicans Denounce Richard Shelby’s Pork Putsch?
Suuure they will… /s
besides, repubs push “projects” – democrats push “pork”, doncha know.
Could also be a Schwein Putsch.
I cannot wait for all the Republicans cited above to come out in unison and tell Richard Shelby to back off because he is making them look bad.
Silly rabbit, don’t you know IOKIYAR? Why? Because GOPers extort their pork in the name of patriotism, the last refuge of the scoundrel. It’s not about pork, it’s about our troops in Iraq/Afghanistan and unborn fetuses, right? Only Democrats get pork, GOPers get “loyalty grants.”
Who wants to bet Harry Reid and Obama give Shelby everything he wants, plus 10% for his inconvenience, and call it “bipartisanship”?
I think the more interesting questions whether this will make the national evening news.
‘course, this would come out on a Friday.
And we can count on pusillanimous Dems and the media to miss another opportunity to highlight Republican hypocrisy.
Why wouldn’t good Democrats JOIN Shelby? The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are rapidly using up what airframe hours remain on the Ar Force’s ancient fleet of KC-135 tankers. Tanker support is now pretty much mandatory if you want to operate modern bombers and fighter bombers. So once the tankers are grounded, the fighter bombers are at least severely restricted and the air war slacks off. This reduces civilian casualties. Without air support,moreover, modern ground operations are pretty much unthinkable. Hence, if he sticks to it long enough, Shelby will enforce a de facto ceasefire. I say, leave him to it, especially since confirming Obama administration appointees seems unlikely to do much to improve our government.
Memo to Jim DeMint: wrt to the Nebraska “Cornhusker Kickback” and the Louisiana Purchase the Republicans jumped all over … it seems both of those Medicaid fixes were requested by those states’ respective Republican governors.
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/79823-sen-landrieu-hits-back-over-louisiana-purchase
Pot, meet kettle.
OINK!
How could anyone who visits this site not have heard? Or, any liberal reader of blogs. Oh, that was just a way of saying…? I must be too blonde today.
I agree, it sucks.
HIOIYAR
Hypocrisy Is OK If Your Are A Republican
another story was dumped today also
http://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/2010/lr21407.htm
hay but TIGER has NEW HOOKERS
Wolfie loved pork. Pork sandwiches, pork chops, bacon, bbq pork. Wolfie goes to DC and sees all these bills and thinks “Pork City!”
with apologies to Chris Walken.
One truly tragic aspect of Shelby’s insipid conduct in the Senate, is how in 1986, when he was first elected to the Senate as Democrat, his razor thin victory was the result of a big push by the African-American community in Alabama.
And once again the rethuglicants use arcane Parlimentry proceedure to out fox the senate dems and stick it to them royally. And what to they do?
Bend over and take it in the ass from this cracker and his 41-vote “majority” of brown shirts. And from the WH? Crickets.
That’ll show ‘em dems, that’ll show ‘em how to be “Bi-Partisian”.
In the meantime the business of the country is once again held hostage to obstructionists and regressionists that want this country to fail.
there is little likelihood that the goopers will do that or that the Dimocrats will mount an effective campaign against it, such as all going out and talking against it on and off the floor of the Senate.
Ditto the Dems really challenging the 60-vote rule.
The Constitution makes clear that we are a majority-rule country and that there are protections for minorities in the Bill of Rights, not in the way the govt operates.
The constitution enshrines majority rule. It protects it vigorously and explicitly. It makes that clearly stating when other majorities are required and carefully limiting those.
The constitution reserves a two thirds vote for a very FEW things:
conviction in the SENATE after impeachment by a majority of the HOUSE — and that conviction is two thirds of those senators present, not those elected.
treaty verification in the Senate
veto override both houses
amending the constitution both houses
25th amendment for incapacity of president.
THAT IS IT.
Of course, the Dimocrats will prolly change this just in time to turn the Senate over to the goopers.
it is not about tankers, but which tankers. Shelby is whoring for his homestate product which is built in concert with Europe. The other choice is Boeing.
Perhaps those crickets are actually the sound of keyboards in Harry Reids office typing up another one of those famous “sternly worded letters”. Although I’m sure they must still have a copy of one on a computer file they can dig out from the Cheney Administration to use as a template.
oldgold,
Ahh, hypocracy, doncha just love it. And yes, you are right, it is truly a tragic aspect of his even being there in the first place.
He claims that the tanker contract was awarded to Northrop Grumman and Airbus last year, but later voided in a bid protest filed by Boeing.
And he wants the Air Force to modify the document asking companies to submit new proposals for building the tankers.
Is he under selling this?
It’s nice that senators now feel so invulnerable that they can display their blackmail in public.
So many in the Congress appear to be really dumb but they certainly have learned how to work the system and it’s killing our country.
Is this a rhetorical question? B/c republicans don’t attack each other like Dems do. This site being exhibit A.
“Will Republicans Denounce Richard Shelby’s Pork Putsch?”
No.
Apparently the minority in the Senate now constitutes the Fourth Branch.
Dick Cheney no longer needing it.
And classy, too!
Sorry, I meant to say Go tie another knot. Got a woodie, now?
Little boy to his father: “What are those holes in the wood?”
Father: “Those are knot holes.”
Boy: “Well, if they’re not holes, what are they?”
Think you had it right the first time. Here, let me try;
Shoo….shoo…go away.
So now that the republican minority is the 4th estate running this country, I propose we call the recent market decline the Scott Brown Swoon and blame the loss of value on their party of jackals regaining so much power and obstructing all of that good Dem legislation that we could not be bothered with when we held the reins.
It appears you and I are in the same boat now.
They are whyknots, plainly! C’mon a little critical thinking in your echo chamber won’t kill y’all.
Guess we will just have to paddle faster, and upstream too, damn.
As usual the Republicans are all on the same message and the Democrats are hiding under their beds.
Democrats are incapable of fighting to win because sometimes, just sometimes, you have to fight dirty. That’s life. That’s the way it works whether you like it or not. The trouble is that all the real fighters, the people who have no problem getting their hands dirty, are routinely run out of town by people who think that sitting down and singing “We Shall Overcome” accomplishes anything.
A little more Malcolm X in our blood wouldn’t hurt.
Some
dayshours I have more tolerance than other times.No, wait a minute, that would take some critical thinking.
Better go.
Thanks, Pups.
Hugs. Mostly.
When have Republicants ever NOT done that?? And when have DINOs ever done a d*** effing thing about it?
More bullshit from our one party system. The ever-so-slightly-more hypocritical wing, called Republics, rips off the US taxpayer somewhat more while acting all high & mighty about it. The ever-so-slightly-less ripping off wing, called Democrats, does their usual thing, which is: nothing, nada, crickets and/or “taking it up the @$$”
Same old, different day.
Rethugs are venal, ya say? I call out so-called “Demorats” as EQUALLY venal or even more so. At least with porkulus Shelby, you know exactly where you stand; he’s gonna lie & spin & rip us off. Harry Reid puts on a half-hearted Mikado show of allegedly being on the “side” of “progressives.” Seriously: who’s more venal & disingenious in this picture? Wing A or Wing B???
More Kabuki show from our one-party system, which gleefully rips off the US taxpayer while pretending not to. BAH!!!
I’m paddling as fast as I can. And, since I work out every day…..let’s go!
Wow, that’s some power.
Really I’m not snarking here, it’s just I would like to see the Republicans ripped into with as much enthusiasm as the Dems rip into other Dems. And it’s a rarity.
Kinda makes l’il ol Ben and Mary pale in comparison. And for foreign corporate interests, per emptywheel.
Yoo-hoo, James O’Keeffe, break out those phone-y repairman suits….
Well, here’s one answer to your question that might surprise you from NRO”
Somehow I’m astounded someone named Ramesh Ponnuru is a Republican, but good on him.
Are you fucking kidding me??? The Repukes have never apologized for anything!! It will NEVER happen, it is OK when the Repukes do it and hold up Government Appointees but let a Dem Do it and it was all about the Nuclear Option!! The Party of NO Will stand it’s ground until it’s dying breath….. Asswipes!!
Ramesh Ponnuru
IIRC, the Airbus solution didn’t meet the published requirements of the bid, but Airbus lobbied the Pentagon successfully to have their solution used instead.
Boeing filed a formal complaint when Airbus was awarded the contract, alleging that the Airbus solution didn’t meet the published requirements and was therefore ineligible to win the contract.
Boeing won.
Shelby now wants the Pentagon to rewrite the RFP to be in line with Airbus’ proposed solution instead of using Boeing’s currently compliant solution, and is willing to hold all political nominees hostage to his tantrum.
IS Shelby underselling this? You tell me.
The Rotting Pachyderm Hulk knows no logic or reason. It has no memory. Its cause is to stink up the joint and use up time and resources. To govern by obstruction is the way of the Troll extorting money for passage at the bridge. Your bridge.
And, I’ve heard that some people think only the far right xtian republicans are the only ones who are short sighted. Go figure.
Shelby just handed Obama, the Dems, the governors, the military, judges, agencies, reasonable businesses, states, cities, and counties all over the nation the GOP’s ass on a platter IF and ONLY IF this is explained to the public in a sane, simple, clear fashion.
Dear fellow Americans, do you really want to continue having a single Senator from… [put in name of state here] disrupt the entire system of government, to be stuck in lockjam day, after day, after day, after day… endlessly while one prima donna or another decides they can screw us all?
If the Dems can’t explain THIS to the American public, they need to pack it in.
I’m not familiar with Ramash either, but I’ve heard it said that all Republicans hate Brown People. Except I guess, when they are one.
Sorry for the uncalled for ethnic slur, shame on me.
Exactly correct alan. Note the embrace of pro-choicer Scott Brown. All those anti-abortion GOPers obviously can put any type of conviction aside to win.
This is off subject but is anyone paying attention to what is going on in Europe?
Dylan Ratigan responded to this the other day and accused the banksters and hedge funds of playing the cds and credit derivatives game over there in Greece and Spain,and moving on to other European countries as they leave havoc in their wake.
This time it involves the countries sovereign wealth funds.can Firedoglake start a comment forum on this subject? These people will not stop until they have control of the planet,they are pretty close now.
Now that the Reagan/Bush Supreme Court has allowed Airbus to provide unlimited support/bribes, why not?
Ah, kt2kelly …
The use of all caps is considered to be the equivalent of SHOUTING.
Generally, caps are to be used sparingly …
You concern is absolutely reasonable, however, as America seems intent upon becoming a pox on the world.
Pax Americana did not (thankfully) work, so Pox Americana it is.
If you would like to create a forum for discussion (or cussing) on this topic, you might consider writing a diary.
It would likely be well-received.
DW
You are mighty polite this fine Friday afternoon. *g*
In a rational world, the Democrats and their allies would make Shelby the target of a relentless campaign of ads and speeches until he was personally destroyed. And once he was turned into a laughing stock, they would pick the next victim and the next.
In military parlance, they would defeat their enemies in detail.
Of course it won’t happen.
Do you have a map to get to this rational world? I would so like to go!
That is because the Republics are not the enemy of Democrats. The voters are the “enemy” of CONgress & the Senate, doncha know?
True dat. But don’t hold your breath. Republics do their thing, and Dems let it happen. Never say a word. Why should Dems “call out” Republics? hmmmm…. must be a reason for that, mustn’t there?
I getcha, it’s just hard for me to believe Dems see voters as the enemy – although you may well be correct. I’ve pretty much resolved to never vote for anyone older than me, those old bastards in Congress make me nuts. The Republicans are truly venal.
I know that perfectly well. But Boeing is not going to allow an Airbus buy. Shelby is not going to let governance happen without an Airbus buy. Hence no tankers.
I’m being tongue in cheek, of course, but only partly. As I pointed out on another thread, the tanker deal stinks to high heaven, with the Boeing end of it being slightly the smellier. The KC-135s were re-engined not all that long ago and might have lasted a good deal longer were it not for the intensive usage that our current all-war-all-the-time policy imposes on the fleet.
Hope this doesn’t come to totally shutting down the government. o_O Lets see how many American companies we can kill and blame on the dems.
This guy wanted to not only break the unions, but give up on our auto industry.
Personally the only earmark for him would be a stick of dinomite up His butt.
I assume the question is merely rhetorical.