Earmarks 1-year Moratorium/Fails

DuH2 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-13-2008, 11:20 PM

Quote:

WASHINGTON - The Senate rejected calls from both parties' presidential candidates to take an election-year break from pork-barrel spending as a Democratic-run Congress passed budget plans that would torpedo hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts won by President Bush.

John McCain, the GOP nominee-to-be, couldn't attract even a majority of Senate Republicans to vote with him Thursday night behind the earmark moratorium touted by party conservatives as a way to restore the GOP's credibility with voters.

It failed on a 71-29 vote. Only three Democrats joined with Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama in voting for it.

..........

Quote:

The practice of inserting "earmarked" spending into legislation is seen by lawmakers in both parties a birthright power of the purse awarded to Congress by the Founding Fathers.

Earmarks have exploded in number and cost in recent years, accompanied by charges of abuse and public outrage over egregious examples like the proposed "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska, which would have cost more than $200 million to serve an island with a population of about 50.

McCain, who has battled with members of both parties over them for years, blamed pork barrel spending for the Republicans losing control of Congress in the 2006 elections.

"This may be the last bastion in America where they don't get it," he told reporters after Thursday night's vote. "Americans are sick and tired of the way we do business in Washington. As president, I promise the American people ... the first earmarked, pork-barrel bill that comes across my desk, I'll veto it."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080314/...ongress_budget

I'm not shocked it failed. It was a given.
McCain though is absolutely right and the majority of Americans agree with him. It wil be one of many issues that will propel him to the Presidency.

Hillary and Obama's tranparent ploy isn't going to fool anyone. In fact it will probably make both of them look like hypocrites if they try to point to it. Both have alot of Earmarks.

Quote:

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) disclosed yesterday the more than half a billion dollars' worth of pet projects, or earmarks, he sought to fund during his first two years in the Senate, and he immediately called on rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) to do the same.

Obama released the list as Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, championed a one-year moratorium on earmarks, which the Senate took up yesterday. Obama and Clinton back the moratorium.

Obama had already published his 2007 requests, but he faced pressure on the campaign trail to release the ones for 2005 and 2006.

Philippe Reines, a senior adviser to Clinton, said in an e-mail that she "will make public the requests she submits this year," though he did not say when that will happen. He noted that Clinton has announced the earmarks she has won, but he did not say whether she will match Obama's disclosure and reveal all of her requests.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews

So roughly Obama in his 3 years in the Senate has tried to amass close to $593,973,600 in earmarks.
$93,973,600 was his haul in 2007 alone...

OH.....

Quote:

But Obama's list raised questions because it includes $8 million for a defense contractor that has ties to one of his most prodigious campaign fundraisers. According to the earmark disclosure, the money was for a project overseen by General Dynamics. Obama's Illinois finance chairman, James S. Crown, serves on the company's board of directors, and his family holds a sizable stake in the firm.

Crown and his wife, Paula Crown, are members of Obama's national finance committee and have raised more than $200,000 for the campaign, according to Obama's campaign Web site.

In an e-mail, James Crown said he has "never discussed any General Dynamics program or contract issues with the Senator" and was "unaware of this request."

Yeah right...Huh? what?..pfff

Hillary just in 2007 was at $1,209,611,755
So you can imagine what hers would be...

John McCain $0
Thats right..Nothing.

http://www.taxpayer.net/

The12thMan · #2 (**permalink**) 03-13-2008, 11:47 PM

This is a lovely issue. Both sides of the aisle constantly moan about spending. McCain is one of only a handful of politicians who has integrity on the issue. Now the lefties will make excuses for Barack like "he's just bringing home the bacon to his constituents". Some of them may even try to justify the individual earmarks. Here you go!
http://answercenter.barackobama.com/...ZHM9JnBfY2F0cz

It may take a while....

crestwood33 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The12thMan

This is a lovely issue. Both sides of the aisle constantly moan about spending. McCain is one of only a handful of politicians who has integrity on the issue. Now the lefties will make excuses for Barack like "he's just bringing home the bacon to his constituents". Some of them may even try to justify the individual earmarks. Here you go!
http://answercenter.barackobama.com/...ZHM9JnBfY2F0cz

It may take a while....

that plus the little support he is receiving from the thugs who have been ruining the party, speaks volumes.

Ronin-Talgar · #4 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 05:09 AM

Why do they need to disclose this stuff? Its not already on the public record? Odd that.

f0ca1 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuH2

John McCain $0

Yeah, but this is just a distraction from real budget issues, like, you know, balancing it.

McCain flip-flopped big on that one.

I'm sure you'll need the quotes.

.05% of the budget= earmarks

.05% of the budget= 6 weeks in Iraq

Facts: the enemy of republican campaigns accross the country.

crestwood33 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f0ca1

Yeah, but this is just a distraction from real budget issues, like, you know, balancing it.

McCain flip-flopped big on that one.

I'm sure you'll need the quotes.

.05% of the budget= earmarks

.05% of the budget= 6 weeks in Iraq

Facts: the enemy of republican campaigns accross the country.

just like the politicians, Limpbawls and Coulter along with Fox News have trained them. Lemmings they are and the cliffs not far.

ABoyNamedSue · #7 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crestwood33

just like the politicians, Limpbawls and Coulter along with Fox News have trained them.

I dare you to back this up with any facts. I DARE you.

ABoyNamedSue · #8 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 07:30 AM

This thread is a perfect example of how politicians (the ones WE elect) do not represent us at all. Capitol Hill has become an Ivory Tower. It doesn't matter who we elect, because they all come from the same clan.

Fear-And-Loathing · #9 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 07:31 AM

Do people really think we can sustain a war and pay back the trillions of dollars we owe by not raising taxes? I'm sorry but for the short term taxes need to be raised and then once the budget is balanced, then lower them again.

ABoyNamedSue · #10 (**permalink**) 03-14-2008, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fear-And-Loathing

Do people really think we can sustain a war and pay back the trillions of dollars we owe by not raising taxes?

What's this got to do with earmarks?

Quote:

I'm sorry but for the short term taxes need to be raised and then once the budget is balanced, then lower them again.

True, but if you've only got $10.00 in your pocket, and you're buying something for $9.99, you can't very well tack on another item for $3.00, and expect to pay for it with that $10 bill. This is why earmarking sucks. If these politicians need something so freakin' bad, then it can be put up for vote. Earmarks are nothing more than "shady deals" done with public money.

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