Posted on 09/09/2008 11:22:15 PM PDT by nickcarraway
"But, you know, when you've been taking all these earmarks when it's convenient, and then suddenly you're the champion anti-earmark person, that's not change. Come on! I mean, words mean something, you can't just make stuff up." -- Barack Obama, Sept. 6, 2008
In politics, words are cheap. What really counts are actions. Democrats and Republicans have talked about fiscal responsibility for years. In reality, both parties have a shameful record of wasting hundreds of billions of tax dollars on pork-barrel projects.
My Senate colleague Barack Obama is now attacking Gov. Sarah Palin over earmarks. Having worked with both John McCain and Mr. Obama on earmarks, and as a recovering earmarker myself, I can tell you that Mrs. Palin's leadership and record of reform stands well above that of Mr. Obama.
Let's compare.
Mrs. Palin used her veto pen to slash more local projects than any other governor in the state's history. She cut nearly 10% of Alaska's budget this year, saving state residents $268 million. This included vetoing a $30,000 van for Campfire USA and $200,000 for a tennis court irrigation system. She succinctly justified these cuts by saying they were "not a state responsibility."
Meanwhile in Washington, Mr. Obama voted for numerous wasteful earmarks last year, including: $12 million for bicycle paths, $450,000 for the International Peace Museum, $500,000 for a baseball stadium and $392,000 for a visitor's center in Louisiana.
Mrs. Palin cut Alaska's federal earmark requests in half last year, one of the strongest moves against earmarks by any governor. It took real leadership to buck Alaska's decades-long earmark addiction.
Mr. Obama delivered over $100 million in earmarks to Illinois last year and has requested nearly a billion dollars in pet projects since 2005. His running mate, Joe Biden, is still indulging in earmarks, securing over $90
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Please read the who article and distribute freely and widely!
Excellent article, strong and clear refutation of the Obambi’s latest lies, and I hope it gets wide circulation.
Ye, and Obama and Biden both VOTED FOR IT.
When the dastardly Senator Coburn tried to attach an amendment sending the money to the Katrina survivors instead, OBAMA and BIDEN voted against it.
Good grief, what the Obama people will do for an issue,
Sarah will continue to be the locus of the campaign because it will take a full 6 weeks of active work just to refute the truly stupid lies.
Exectly EVERYONE needs to read this article.
Thank you, Senator DeMint for setting the record straight.
Obama is criticizing Palin for not being against it “early enough,” when he has never renounced his own vote for it.
You will get a kick out of this website: http://theoinkreport.com/
That’s a good one.
Notice how many of the LA Earmarkers have a (D) after their name...... :o
On the radio I heard they both voted for it twice. But once or twice, Palin corrected her view and Obama/Biden never have.
Jim DeMint is a fine Senator. He is one of the few conservatives in the Republican herd. And probably one of the few republican Senators that REALLY supports Palin.
Any more nominations for Senators to join these best?
Bump to that.
Any more nominations for Senators to join these best?
Sadly, that may sum it up.
You nailed it pal!
SC ping!
Yep, that’s just it. Obama and Biden both voted for the bridge twice, the final time by voting against transferring that money to Katrina evacuees.
Kind of takes a chunk out of their rhetoric, doesn’t it?
I had a minivan that I thought I liked. As time went on, though, I saw problems with the brakes that couldn’t be resolved, it had problems in snow and ice that didn’t quite work where I live, and there was something that developed in the engine that didn’t sound quite right.
I had to live with it a bit before I was aware of its deficiencies. I traded it in recently for a (gasp) SUV.
Now, because I had it for a period of time learning about it, does that mean I didn’t get rid of it?
Senator DeMint of South Carolina, a recovering earmarker...now that is funny...DeMint is one great Senator, sorry about our other Senator...Lindsey LightLoafer!
A caller on the Dem line said the following, which I will never forget. "Before I answer whether or not Congress should approve the spending, I have a question. "Is this the Governments money or is it ours"?
Ya can't make this stuff up folks.
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