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Dismissing President Barack Obama's opposition to earmarks as "an applause line," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told NBC News on Wednesday that the president should "back off" and let lawmakers continue to direct spending to their home districts.
Asked during a one-on-one interview with NBC whether Obama was wrong to promise a veto on any bill that contains earmarks, Reid quickly replied, "of course."
"This is an applause line," Reid said. "It's an effort by the White House to get more power. They've got enough power as it is."
Reid, along with other lawmakers who support earmarking, argues that eliminating the practice simply puts more discretion in the hands of executive branch officials who have authority to fund projects. "I have a Constitutional obligation to do congressionally directed spending," he said. "I know much more about what should be done in Elko [or] Las Vegas, Nevada, than some bureaucrat does back here."
Reid said voters should recognize that eliminating congressional earmarks does not, in itself, reduce spending but changes how the same money is spent.
"I think it's absolutely wrong and the public should understand that the president has enough power; he should back off and let us do what we do."
Suggesting almost dismissively that the president is playing to the crowd, he added that Obama may win "in the short term" with conservatives and those in the public who think that the practice should be nixed.
"The president thinks this will help him a little bit. You know, more power to him," he said. "But it's just wrong."
Despite this strong disagreement, Reid says the fight over earmarks will not cause a long-term rift with Obama.
"He's been around awhile. I've been around a while," he noted. "Just because he's wrong on this, [it] doesn't mean he's not right on almost everything else."
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OK, Now, Boys and Girls,
WHO PRINTS THE MONEY ?? The United States Federal Government has the Constitutional Authority
to PRINT & SPEND OUR MONEY. There is absolutely NO constitutional provision for EARMARKS, PERIOD.
EARMARKS are STATES, & VOTER DISTRICTS, PLAYING POLITICS (politicians trading votes for favors)
in order to DIRECT FEDERAL FUNDS TO A PARTICULAR STATE or VOTER DISTRICT; to appease the voter
base of politicians so that they might remain in office at the next election: it is Plain and Simple, folks.
EARMARKS therefore are a completely FRAUD-BASED system of directing and spending FEDERAL MONIES.
Come on Guys & Gals !! The STATES have the authority to levy taxes against federal currency movements
within their specific STATES & VOTER DISTRICTS if they choose, to raise revenue for their own purposes.
STATE TAXES are the PROPER MANNER of REVENUE GENERATION for EVERY STATE(& thusly Voter District).
EARMARKS ARE "THE PLAYGROUND OF THE DEVIL" -- states playing FAVORITES rather than holding united.
OH !! Did I hear the word UNITED ?? Are we not supposed to be the UNITED STATES ... of AMERICA ??
Any state(or voter district) which attempts to EARMARK FEDERAL FUNDS is simply playing POLITICS for the
expressed purpose of ENHANCING THEIR SPECIFIC AGENDA, INCLUDING keeping STATE TAXES LOWER.
THIS IS VERY FRANKLY A COMPLETE BASTARDIZATION OF THE ECONOMIC INTENT of our Founding Fathers.
Do you recall that the STATES originally had their OWN SCRIPT ? This was precisely, agreeably replaced by
FEDERAL MONEY and STATE INCOME TAXES. Thus, each State(& voter district) TAXES ITS OWN MONEY.
Harry Reid, I did not have a bad word to say about you until now. If you want more money directed to
your home state &/or voter district, GO HOME -- CONSTITUTIONALLY RAISE TAXES for your own money.
Nuff Said.
LeeRoySpirit, Constitutional Centrist Democrat
Its good to know Dirty Harry is giving Obama direction.
You have to love it when a Senator can tell the President to "back off" because he still has more bribes and payoffs that he has to give out.
Reid is a moron! He has the casino bosses in his pocket or else he would have been kicked out of office long ago.
The corruption continues and it appears the FBI does not want any part of investigating the morons and good ole boys in Congress and DC. Has anyone started a criminal investigation on Fannie and Freddie? You bet they have not because here again no one wants to do their job to eliminate the lying, stealing and cheating. The taxpayer continues to get screwed and no effort is taken to stop it.
We need to get rid of the spending that is killing our country. We need to get rid of the EPA, foreign aid, start drilling in Alaska, develop more coal and shale, stop importing oil for stupid countries that hate us, get rid of the liars and cheaters in Congress. Get a fair tax system implemented and cut waste and abuse in all government agencies.
Obama talked about transparency when he was running for president? Did you get it? He promised real change. Did it happen? No, No and NO. He talks a good game but never delivers because it is all eye wash. Him and his crew has shoved the lousy healthcare down American throats and told them they must accept it. This does not work in our democratic system and it will be repealed. They skirt around the constitution and do as they please.
They must be stopped in trying to get us to except their lousy socialism and other hair brain policies. 2012 will be the next big milestone to insure this motly crew is ousted and looking for other jobs.
Rick,
I think you really ought to give some thought to these simple facts:
1. Your answer to "Did you get it?" says everything that needs to be said. The Republicans under Mitch McConnell and Boehner-the-boozer said No, No, and NO to any change (large or small) proposed by the White House. Now, you don't have to take my word for it. No, all you have to do is examine the congressional record (which is available to all), and you'll see for yourself.
The "lousy healthcare" you referred to is becoming very (VERY) popular with the American people as they begin to see what's in it for them (instead of the fear-mongering hog-wash Republicans handed out). Even McConnell and Boehner aren't stupid enough to advocate "pre-existing condition" scams and forcing college-age students off of their parents' policies just because of their age.
Do you really think congressional Republicans can repeal this in the face of overwhelming public support for the changes that were made? good luck Rick, because I think you're whistling in the wind.
The President's positive rating (among all parties and groups) seems to be rising, and you think 2012 will be a Republican victory? Who do you think will defeat this increasingly popular President - Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachmann?
Puhleeze!
Are you kidding me!! He just got re-elected by the hair on his tuckus, and he still doesn't get it. Republican or Democrat with these thoughts need to be eliminated from Washington when their re-election comes up.
We, as Americans, are asking for honesty. If you love your earmark, submit it as a bill. Vote on it as a bill. If it has merit, it will pass. If it benefits only one state, I really can't see it happening. We need to stand together and tighten the budget belt.
Makes sense kat
Focus on whether or not Obama finally begins to keep his early campaign and later promise to not sign bills with earmarks--keeps us from focus on the REAL problem. TRILLIONS in debt and more than another TRILLION crushing us when Obamacare is implemented. Meanwhile, he chips away at Medicare help for the elderly on fixed incomes. He is chipping away at it to fund his Obamacare. He wants us to focus on current earmarks rather than all the earmarks the Crooks put in the Obamacare bill...locking the barn door after the horse already gets out I'm not impressed. Americans are being impoverished so they will have no power and can be subject to the ruthless. Our 'freedom' and our kids' 'freedom' is swirling down the Obamacare drain.
Realgirl ...how does expecting everyone to have health insurance increase debt for the governement? If you have insurance, the insurance company pays your healthcare costs. If you don't, like 30 million Americans, the government ends up paying for their healthcare when they need it (out of your tax money).
We are falling in line, as we FOCUS on the possibility of earmark promises finally being met. That TAKES OUR EYES OFF the 14,100,000,000,000 U.S. National Debt (google National debt clock) + the more than 1 TRILLION added Obamacare debt + the over $3 a gallon gasoline projected to reach $5.50 because after Obama's drilling moratorium was lifted, the government refused to issue any permits to drill + having to pay for alternative energy projects begining for wind farms and solar etc. + the fact that US workers already work more hours with less vacation than Brits, Europe, Australia, Netherlands etc. + our children, grandchildren are being enslaved by debt!
They are thumbing their noses at our laws and our government lets them. I say you now have a whole caravan of people who admit they are illegal, just round them up and deport them in one nice neat package.