Democrats drop a new Porkapalooza … party time for the defeated
It’s called an Omnibus Spending Bill and if it sounds familiar it’s because the Democrats pulled this on everyone last year too. This one is $1.1 trillion dollars, designed to fund the government, not for a few weeks until the Republicans take control, but fund it through the entire year. Consider it a parting shot by the losing party … and once again it’s full of pork.Dave Ramsey called it theft and he’s right. By passing this bill it stops Republicans from putting together a clean budget and at least attempting to shrink the size of government for one more year. Even better it’s full of pork, project funding requested by both Republicans and Democrats.
Democrats are trying to make the case that none other than Senate Republicans leader Mitch McConnell has pork in this bill as well. But McConnell fired back all request were supposed to be taken up individually and voted on and that this is nothing more than cover for big spending Democrats.
Not many details as of this morning, but they will continue to slip out through the day. Republicans have vowed to fight this thing, including McConnell, because it would tie their hands for a year. Consider this a Democrat parting gift to the Republicans that would institutionalize the bloated big government that Democrats see slipping away.
As for the pork. It’s all there.
Some of the most visible earmark requests belonged to Democrats.
Five House Democrats requested a $10 million earmark to build the John P. Murtha Center for Public Service at the University of Pittsburgh. And two Massachusetts Democrats, Sen. John Kerry and Rep. Ed Markey, requested $8 million for construction of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.
Sen. John McCain and Rep. Jeff Flake and, two Arizona Republicans who long have crusaded against earmarks, blasted the nearly 2,000-page omnibus bill, saying it ignores the will of voters who made clear last month Congress needs to rein in government spending and debt.
Want more … here’s Brett Baier.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlT2fqQzle8
Senator Jim DeMint has vowed to stop it all … and have the 1900 page bill read on the Senate floor. Yup, that’l do it.
This bill also funds the unconstitutional Obamacare law that Americans oppose and have asked Congress to fully repeal. Democrats haven’t given Republicans or the American people time to read the bill, but I’ll join with other Republican colleagues to force them to read it on the Senate floor.”
AP at Hot Air calls it a total mess and that Republicans are in revolt. He also points out one more little item that I missed. We are doomed.
Exit question: Are DeMint and Coburn really going to force a full reading of the bill? No wonder Reid’s threatening to hold this sucker over until January 5.
Update: In case you’re not sufficiently excited about the bill already: “Indeed, the Senate bill has more pork fat than the House counterpart passed last week, and far worse, it contains funding for Obamacare implementation.”
It’s party time for the Democrats until January 4.
14 Comments
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I knew I should not have read this before I went to the gym. Cut throat trout? How about cut throat Democrats and dastardly duo Collins and Snowe! Bah Humbug
This is akin to a king loading up the countries treasures while the revolution is banging at the gates.If it were not the fact that a "lame duck congress" is the rule for congress when the majority changes, I would say this is treasonous.
However….as I am not a political historian, I would like to be assured that this shoe has never been on the other foot. I'm not convinced this is a democrat issue. I believe this is a "politician" shortcoming. I am reminded of the flip-flopping we always hear about on the filibuster issue every time the majority changes. Both sides always seem to be for it before they are against it.
My question to those in the know is….Have the republicans ever been this treasonous? If so, then oh well. If not, then we need to address this treason. Either way we have to move to end these lame duck sessions.
Sorry to continue to use up space but this is relevant. It seems the dems and Mr. Obama could learn a lesson from Hugo Chavez. Look at what he is getting from his lame duck legislature.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101214/ap_on_re_la_a…
Watch out for this in the small print!
This has nothing to do with today's topic but….
I have not been successful in establishing email contact with Jim. Could someone walk me through the process. What has happened is this. I type in all the info then answer the question are you human ? What is that about? Then it ask to submit. It is rejected what gives? I am throwing this out since I can’t make contact anywhere else.
Does anyone know the email address to “Church and State”?
Thanks Jeff
If the Republicans are serious and have the testicular fortitude, they should be on every tv/radio show they can get on, every single day, telling the people what these impotent toads are doing. 24/7, baby! Every time a spend and tax Dem is on a show, the Republicans should be demanding equal time. They should be on call anytime of the day or night to go on at a moments notice and pound these libtards back into the mire from which they arose. They should particularly target any Dem that survive the last election and voted for this monstrosity.
Shine the light on the cockroaches and watch them run!
Boy, what a lot of wishful thinking. Keep hoping that you will be able to turn this supertanker on a dime (or even a $ coin).
Don't think pork is going away anytime soon. Bringing home the bacon helps get politicians re-elected, which is why it will remain popular with both parties. Even the tea partiers love it when it comes to their own districts. If you explore "earmarks" via Google, you'll be amazed at how universal they are. At anyrate the most gifted pol is the one who can openly criticize pork and bring it home at the same time. This should be a record year for that trick.
I distinctly remember Obama during a debate saying he was going to eliminate earmarks, trim the budget "line by line and number by number"… Where in the hell is the erudite professor with the sharpest pencil and all of the smartest ideas now? Probably packing for his winter vacation!
This pork is a "PRIME" example of why we need to "CHOP" practically ALL politicians in the Washington "JOINT" houses of Congress. They continually purLOIN our money. Frankly, they don't have a LEG to stand on. They need to be "CUT" and "LET" go. I'm "RACK"ed with disgust with their HAM-fisted attempts to deal with the country's problems.
p.s. Jeff, you need to enter the letters you see at the bottom of your email. For some reason, this proves you are human :O:O
What is a Trillion Dollars: http://100777.com/node/455
"…The total debt obligation of the United States now exceeds 46 TRILLION DOLLARS.
American workers now net almost 30 percent less in real wages than they did in 1973. After taxes, two paychecks in a family barely equal the purchasing power one had thirty years ago…."
$1,000,000,000,000 = A trillion dollars= a million million dollars.
46, 000, 000, 000, 000 / 308, 000, 000 = 149 350.649
National Debt / US Population= $149 K per person
I didn't bother taking my shoes off for this calculation,
so I welcome any corrections…
Earmarks are a tiny part of the budget. They do answer the question asked every Congressman by the voters, which is: What have you been doing down there? They also reward supporters and help lesser officials (mayors, for example) look like they are good at their jobs. Plus, rumour has it, ear marks don't add new money to the budget, they merely direct money that's already budgeted to specific projects. The furor over them is good because it reminds Congress that we are watching. It's bad in that it is a distraction from reforming the big ticket items: defense, medicare and social security. For that to happen we need to demand that the two parties lay down their swords for a while and work together, even if it makes Obama look good. I think we can all tolerate that for the benefit of the country.
David R gets it. Jim likes to whine, and has a following!
I can't believe people who can't see the forest for the trees calls other people whiners!