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Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell's announcement to support a ban on earmarks does two significant things.
First, it fuses a major Tea Party issue into a GOP establishment agenda item. Until today, it was GOP Sen. Jim DeMint -- a Tea Party favorite -- who had absorbed much of the spotlight for pushing a ban on earmarks. But now it is arguably a "GOP leadership position."
Prior to McConnell's floor speech, it wasn't clear how Republicans would vote tomorrow on a self imposed earmark ban offered by DeMint. Now, GOP leadership aides suggest it will pass, but only because McConnell is on board.
So the story of infighting within Republican ranks -- Tea Party vs. GOP establishment -- has vanished. But who gets the credit for uniting Republicans: DeMint or McConnell?
The second thing McConnell's move does is that it pits a united Republican front and President Obama against Senate Democrats, who will still have the ability to earmark. (House Democrats won't have much power under Republican rule next year.)
Obama voiced support for earmark reform over the weekend saying in his weekly address, "I agree with those Republican and Democratic members of Congress who've recently said that in these challenging days, we can't afford what are called earmarks."
The question now becomes: How will Senate Democrats respond?
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I don't think the infighting has really begun in earnest. The Tea Partiers won't cave in to the establishment so easily. McConnell should feel very uncomfortable about doing any kind of business as usual.
If the teabaggers could actually take some of the foxes out of the henhouse, that would be great. But I think when they figure out where the Republicans get their money, they will know they've been had. If they are really angry about Wall Street and the Big Banks giving bonuses after their bailouts, they would have to fire most of the people they voted for.
Has anybody noticed that GM is doing fine? The new congress would have let it go under and perhaps a million jobs (including all suppliers) with it. Obama - the savior of American automobiles. Now we won't have to buy our tanks from China.
C'Mon Beyond. The dems get huge amounts of money from the banks and Wall Street. The money has tainted both parties, big time.
And GM is still living on our dime. Til they pay off EVERYTHING, they are just a big company on welfare like AIG.
Has anybody noticed the articles about GM? How GM paid off that government Master Card bill with their government Visa Card. Anyone see the articles about Obama giving GM a 45.4 billion dollar tax credit over the next 20 years to help with those pesky union funds and to help make the IPO look better for the suckers.
Speaking of flying with a fat cat.... ah nevermind.
I don't expect much from this alleged ban on earmarks. I suspect it's a lot of hot air and that this is ultimately a case of where earmarks are only bad unless they're YOUR earmarks.
McConnel's face would make such a great model for those plasic molded faces in the 'whack-a-mole' game.
Boy, just when I think you might be all right, you prove that you aren't.
Aw, c'mon- you don't think little kids would think was a real cutie-pie?
Okay, you win. Let us now add Pelosi and Reid and we can whack 'em all.
DeMint is the driving force of change in the Republican party! McConnell just got on board since he seen he was on the losing end of this all around! Saying No this time risked that he get left behind the pack!
I see McConnell's point about Obama gaining since earmarks could be useful to by off a critical vote! But they go both ways! If Dem's want to get hit over the head the next two years on earmarks, they will lose more moderates and therefore move further to the left just like what happened in the house with the Blue Dogs! Blue Dogs are just about extinct!
My brother refers to McConnel as "turtlehead." I don't know if he looks more like a mole or a turtle. But perhaps that is besides the point. How can he, of all people, act all high and mighty about special favors? He is for the MOST SPECIAL of the special interests. He makes me ashamed to say that I was born in Kentucky. What has he done for his state? The stripminers pock mark his state and the deep miner operators operate more unsafely - thanks to what people like he have done since 1994. Maybe he should get some earmarks for Kentucky. Now that nitwit Rand Paul will join him as the junior senator from my native state. I guess you can fool some of the people all of the time.
I'll believe it when I see it. Earmarks are used for spending in every congress members district and none of them are going to head home for Christmas and tell their constituents, "Hey, you all need to pay federal taxes, but my job is to see that you get nothing in return."
Hey Bob 1805084:
Do you think we could get some good tanks from China? How about we build our helicopters in Vietnam? Why should we have any heavy industry here in the U.S.? Ship it all over seas. Do you think the Europeans helped out Airbus? You bet. Do you think the Chinese government artificially helps out all of their companies (business-like entities)? You bet. Most current estimates are that GM's bailout will be just about a push for the government treasury. But saving one million high paying jobs, that might be a good thing. You see the invisible hand of capitalism, if left unfettered, will steer all manufacturing to China, Vietnam, etc. That is because striking in protest of wages at 70 cents an hour could get you killed in those countries. Now, that's cost control. Good capitalist, uh, I mean, Marxist, uh whatever they are, industry. Think it through. We can't all run burger stands and candle stores. And not everybody can work in the Silicon Valley. And our youngsters are doing worse than ever in school. And we waste more energy than any other country (by far). So, government better get cracking.
No matter who gets credit for the idea (DeMint or McConnel), the time for grace in politics is now! Accept the ban on earmarks as a good idea and credit the Republicans. Carry it through with a bill that passes both houses and gets signed by Obama.
This is a cowards way out Mitch ...lets see you do something that has meaning ...ban all lobbyist money ban all money from un named donors ! do whats best for America....take the money out of politics !!!
That would take a Constitutional amendment. Congress already tried that and the Supreme Court threw it out on an 8 to 1 vote! That was about the most unanimous vote they had since I can remember!
You don't want to end up like Iran or China. Even a little rule with good intentions can open a big crack for future interpretations and restrictions. Best to leave speech complete unencumbered!
I think the credit goes to neither DeMint or McConnel but is and should be a sign of the change to come as mandated by the Tea Party who swept these guys in and who can and will just as easily sweep them out again if they fail to toe the line.
A bigger test of mettle will be Tax cuts for the rich and selling that lemon to the Tea Party.
"I know you hired us for fiscal responsibility and deficit reduction, but the first thing we really need to do is add 750b to that existing deficit by giving this money to the nations wealthiest 2% which we estimate will conservatively grow to about 4 trillion by the time your kids start paying the tab. BTW, did I tell you about how we intend to eliminate farm subsidies, educational entitlements and Medicare while we simultaneously privatize your Soc Sec and Veterans benefits?"
The whole taxation system has been turned upside down by the Republicans.
Huge Corporations with massive profit levels pay no taxes. We give tax breaks to companies who move jobs offshore, the really wealthy enjoy their wealth virtually free of charge, the massive defense budget goes unexamined and gets a pass as a sacred cow, incentives to pay for college educations etc, have been removed from the system, we allow wages and salaries to be held down while employees become ever more productive, we allow local property taxes and license fees etc, to escalate out of control, we borrow from the SS trust fund and then declare that SS is broke, we pay the middle class less and tax them more and then we wonder why they won't spend any money!!
Come on guys we have a recession because the middle class is not paid fairly for their efficiency and production. 47% of workers in this country do not pay any federal taxes because they are not PAID enough. If you want to turn this economy around put money in the hands of those who will spend it. And here's a clue, it is not the wealthy, its the middle class.
Once again, mickey mouse and the deminted one attempt to make us look like fools....Mickey is so tangled up in his panties he does not know which end is up. Can't you figure out what is BEST for your State's people without politicizing it to the point where it is CLEAR that all you want is to defeat My President in 2012??!!??!! Have you no shame! You are so obvious!
They should give credit where credit is due on the earmark issue---to President Obama, he was there first!
The SHAMELESS reps' principal : No principal & power-only !
1. Anti-DISCLOSE Act VS. Pro-Earmark Ban
It is apparent that the largest form of wasteful spending can arise from the Shadowy Campaign Money offered by the greedy interest group.
And Earmarks accounted for about $16 billion, less than 1 percent, of federal spending in 2010, small potatoes in contrast to Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
2. The reps & jobs
a. Even when the economy was on the cusp of entire collapse just like Lehman Brothers ahead of the roll-out of stimulus package, it was held hostage by Audacity of Nope, and the time was running out.
Power first said : Nope ! How do we pay for it ?, Just let him go under exactly like Lehman Brothers.
b. It is also important to remember a small business bill that was blocked for weeks by a republican filibuster in the Senate.
c. Power first now says without hesitation : Extend the tax cuts for the greedy until we’re out of this recession, or for the job creation.
Under the failed Bush tax cut for lavish bonus parties, a sole job plan for the reps, the country already saw millions of job cuts.
And hence it's the right time to ask themselves as to how they can pay for it.
d. Jobs ahead in another Bush era ( = Entire Downfall ) ??
I think D.S. is going to realize vividly how Bush era wrecked economy.
3. The reps campaigned on their ability to cut spending and balance the budget, so they should be required to make good on that pledge.
But, the Bush tax cut for the greedy will add an additional $700 billion to the deficit over a decade.
As for the Democrats, sound investments = deficit hike.
As for the reps, failed giveaway policy = job creation.
4. Over the duration of healthcare debate, using the preliminary cost analysis of CBO, the reps opposed the public option stubbornly, but after the release of final score, they have been defiant on the referee.
Inaction cost in relation to health care reform totals $9trillion over the next decade.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that reform will reduce the federal deficit by $143 billion over the next 10 years and as much as $1 trillion during the following decade
5. In view of Medicare & Social Security :
“Don't Let Government Touch Your Medicare & Social Security”
“We will instead Stomp On Your Medicare & Social Security”