Wake up, Republicans
The other day I got an email from the RNC – it was addressed to me, by name, so I know that whoever sent it at least read enough of my blog to get my name right. It complimented my support of the party in my blog, announced the launch of new GOP blog and asked me to link that blog to mine. I get email like this occasionally – usually from less reputable people than the GOP. But I answered that I wouldn’t link the GOP to this blog, for the same reason I quit donating to the GOP and the Republican Senate Caucus three years ago – I don’t donate to the Democrats, why would I donate to Republicans acting like Democrats?
Here’s a case in point; Timothy Carney, in the Washington Examiner this morning writes “Congress porks up waterways bill“;
The Senate recently passed a bill authorizing money for the Army Corps of Engineers with a price tag of about $14 billion. The House version of the Water Resources Development Act passed at $15 billion. In a conference committee, lawmakers from both chambers hammered out the differences, and in the end came to a compromise: $23 billion.
While not that unusual, this bill’s growth behind closed doors certainly defies the civics-textbook explanation of how a bill becomes a law. The 450 earmarks in the final bill, including many that appeared only in the final version, also don’t quite reflect the promises Democrats made after passing their “ethics reform†bill earlier this year. Looking closely at this legislation — and who stands to get rich off of it — gives a good education in the way Washington really works.
So the bill almost doubled in spending from $14 billion to $23 billion. Although Carney lays the largesse squarely on the Democrats’ shoulders, I blame Republicans;
President Bush has threatened to veto the bill. But having garnered 81 votes in the Senate and 381 votes in the House, Democratic leaders have enough votes to override a veto — and they are being lobbied hard to do so.
81 votes in the Senate means 30 Republicans have their fingers in the pie – the Democrats had to give earmarks to at least 30 Republicans to garner their votes. It also means that at least 30 Republicans out of 48 are acting like Democrats. If whoever that was from the GOP who wrote me is reading this, now you have the reason you’re not linked to my blog.
When the Republican Senate holds the line against spending instead of hoping the President does it for them, maybe I’ll open up my wallet and my blog to Republicans and the GOP organization. Until then, pound sand.
