Barely Elected But It's Already 'Pass The Pork'

IBD Editorials ^ | December 15, 2010 | Left wing lunatic DANA MILBANK

[Kaslin]

Dear Tea Party voter: You've been had.

When the good people of South Dakota voted last month to send Republican Kristi Noem to Congress, they probably believed she would give no quarter to the lobbyists and special-interest groups who enjoyed, as she put it, "throwing money at the feet of a member of Congress."

But since she defeated Democratic Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (in part by making an issue of Sandlin's marriage to a lobbyist), Noem has hired her new chief of staff from ... a lobbying firm! And on Tuesday afternoon, she was the guest of honor at a "Meet & Greet" with Washington high-rollers at the powerhouse lobbying firm Barbour Griffiths Rogers.

Once these boys start throwing money at Noem's feet, she'll soon be chin deep in lobbyist greenbacks.

It was probably inevitable that the Tea Party activists would be betrayed, but the speed with which congressional Republicans have reverted to business-as-usual has been impressive.

House Republican leaders rejected a Tea Party-backed candidate as the new chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, instead installing Hal Rogers of Kentucky, who is known as the "Prince of Pork" and who once said pork is a "bad word for making good things happen."

Many Tea Party favorites, meanwhile, have discovered the appeal of Washington lobbyists' cash and advice. South Dakota's Noem is one of at least 13 incoming Republican lawmakers who have hired lobbyists to run their offices. As the Washington Post's Dan Eggen reported last week, dozens of freshman lawmakers have already had fundraisers to collect millions of dollars from lobbyists and other deep-pocketed interests.

[DownInFlames]

Dissolve the Union - NOW.

[muawiyah]

Lobbyists are merely people who represent others in the pursuit of their Fourth Amendment Rights.

Only fascists and communists hate the Fourth Amendment.

That's why you are usually not going to find very many people on these threads kvetching about "lobbyists".

[Defiant]

I think you mean first amendment. The fourth amendment protects us from unreasonable search and seizure. That amendment is under assault, but lobbyists are not the ones out there defending it.

[blade_tenner]

That didn't take long. So now we have a new crop of "reformists" already getting to know the lobbyist and inside traders in D.C. Watch these guys... if someone pays down a congressman's debt, do you think he's going to take your call over his D. C. benefactor's? Do you think he'll care about the values and freedom of the voters?

We should keep a sharp eye on these guys... and not hesitate to "primary" them when they snub those who brought them for those who bought them...

[sheana]

The problem with that is the taxpaying American citizen does not have a lobbyist. We are not supposed to need them since the representatives are hired to represent us.
Doesn’t seem to work that way anymore and hasn’t for a long time. The ballot box is broken.

[cripplecreek]

Sometimes the true stars are the people who don’t make headlines or get attention. The man I voted for doesn’t make firey speeches but he has a proven track record of doing the right thing quietly.

[RedMDer]

This looks like a hit job on the people that we just elected before they even cast the first vote to confuse the electorate and demonize the new members.

[Kaslin]

That’s ok, but notice that I referred to the author as left wing lunatic

[blackdog]

I don’t know what they do to incoming freshmen during their “orientation”, but without fail the best we can find and elect get corrupted during this “Orientation” they are required to go thru.

[Ann Archy]

I REFUSE to read IBD when they have that flaming gay leftt Dana Milbank!! Get REAL, IBD!!

[Red_Devil 232]

This is what is so dangerous to us and our neophyte Tea Party Representatives. Their hiring of long term Washington insiders to be on their staff. I heard they are all falling into the trap of Washington politics - the entrenched ex-staffers looking for new blood to work for. They are the ones who will corrupt our Representatives!!!! One question to these candidates should be, who will be on your staff?

[RedMDer]

I’m willing to wait and see how they vote. They are not even in office yet.

[Viking2002]

Dana Milquetoast can go pound sand.

Props to cripplecreek for the graphics!

[RedMDer]

I’d like to get that on the WH Christmas tree.

[muawiyah]

Excuse me ~ I meant the "fourth and fifth clause in the First Amendment", to wit: " or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances"

This one runs up against the privilege of the Congress to make their own rules (unfortunately).

[Kaslin]

Excellent point, and I agree completely. Lets wait and see how they perform

[Java4Jay]

I’m feeling more betrayed than when I found my wife/ex-wife in bed with an 18 year old.

[vpintheak]

Because she hired aperson who worked for a lobbyist shouldn’t matter. what will matter is if she starts wheeling and dealing with pork projects. Then you know she will have lied.

[Kaslin]

You are exactly right.