May 22, 2007
THE CONGRESS THE PORKBUSTERS BROUGHT YOU:
Pelosi Defends Murtha Over Republican Effort to Reprimand Him (AP, May 21, 2007)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is defending a close Democratic ally whom Republicans want to reprimand for threatening a GOP lawmaker's spending projects.Posted by Orrin Judd at May 22, 2007 10:49 PMPelosi, D-Calif., said she had "no idea what actually happened" during a noisy exchange in the House chamber last week between Reps. John P. Murtha, D-Pa., and Mike Rogers, R-Mich. [...]
During a series of House votes Thursday, Murtha walked to the GOP side to confront Rogers, a former FBI agent. This month, Rogers had tried unsuccessfully to strike from an intelligence spending bill an item that would restore $23 million for the National Drug Intelligence Center, a facility in Murtha's Pennsylvania district.
According to Rogers' account, which Murtha did not dispute, the Democrat angrily told Rogers he should never seek earmarks of his own because "you're not going to get any, now or forever."
"This was clearly designed to try to intimidate me," Rogers told The Associated Press on Friday. "He said it loud enough for other people to hear."
House rules prohibit lawmakers from placing conditions on earmarks or targeted tax benefits that are based on another member's votes.
Yeah, no kidding. There are more important things going on then some dang bridge in Alaska, and the dems aren't likely to help them.
Posted by: RC at May 22, 2007 11:47 PMNonsense,
Republicans brought "this congress" upon themselves.
No one argues about a little bit of 'log rolling' in politics, but failing to set some limit brings eventual collapse.
Eventually, the small things get big, and infect the culture. Cunningham, Renzi, Jefferson, etc. etc.
Soon, it isn't about pork as much as it is about personal power and enrichement. Hastert's Earmark was designed to increase the value of his own property.
Again, you guys are whistling past the graveyard on this. If you try to build a party born of priciples and ideals into a party of pork and patronage, you will get what you deserve.
I live in Illinois. I know. There isn't a Republican of character in the state. They are pigs. The party won't elect them, and they won't let go of what little patronage pork they control. It's a death spiral.
...and it all starts with "everyone does it."
Posted by: Bruno at May 23, 2007 7:12 AMThe Dems will lose in 2008 if the GOP aggresively hangs Murtha around Pelosi's neck. And if they start doing it today, the nutroots will probably force her to dump him.
Will the Stupid party play?
Posted by: ratbert at May 23, 2007 7:29 AMBruno:
Your departure from reality begins at "Eventually." Imaging that arcadian moment when politics was clean is a function of delusion.
Posted by: oj at May 23, 2007 10:55 AM