Posted on 03/13/2008 8:56:25 PM PDT by SmithL
Even with the backing of all three presidential candidates, Senate old-timers in both parties decisively killed a proposed one-year ban on lawmakers' home-state pet projects.
The 71-29 vote Thursday night against the earmark moratorium came as Congress pressed ahead with a budget plan that would saddle millions of Americans with higher tax bills in three years by allowing some of President Bush's tax cuts to die after he leaves office.
The House passed a $3 trillion federal budget plan that would provide generous increases to domestic programs but bring the government's ledger back into the black by letting all of Bush's tax cuts expire at the end of 2010 as scheduled.
The Senate endorsed extending $340 billion of Bush's tax cuts but balked continuing all of them.
All three major presidential candidates interrupted their campaigns to cast votes on the budget plan, which is nonbinding but highlights the difficult choices on taxes and spending facing the next president and Congress.
. . . The practice of inserting "earmarked" spending into legislation is seen as a birthright by lawmakers in both parties — and a right under the 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.
"This may be the last bastion in American where they don't get it. Americans are sick and tired of the way we do business in Washington," McCain told reporters afterward. "As president, I promise the American people ... the first earmarked, pork-barrel bill that comes across my desk, I'll veto it."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
It’s time to burn Washington to the ground.
Well, McCain ain’t perfect, but I sure like that soundbite.
After all, Senate is from the Latin senex, “foolish old bugger.”
McCain might be just the answer as well as term limits. Stinking jerks are all a bunch of crooks.
Constitutionally mandated term limits (one term) should be imposed. No pensions, either.
Well...gee...that should help the Dems get more elected to Congress (and the Presidency)..../sarc
McCain is not even close to who I had hoped for.
But he’s head and shoulders above Hussein and da Beast!
No pensions AND no salaries, as it was originally. Serve because you love your country. Get rid of all the lifelong perquisites and we will see a different kind of person running for Congress.
Naw, we just need to lock up 71 people (The 71-29 vote Thursday night against the earmark moratorium........).
Earmarks, are these the same political payouts as the old “Pork-Barrel” political promises under another (and less objectionable) name? Just wondering?
Yeah, right........he'll veto that first one, and then anything goes!
We've got his word on that! /s
:’-( 3 trillion dollars down the drain. I wonder what the military could do with half that much money. If we didn’t waste so much money on domestics we could rule this miserable lump of rock.
WTF? Probably a fair description by the AP, but it's sad that 38 out of 49 Republicans can be classified as "moderate."
What ever you think about McCain I believe that you can trust him on placing a veto on those bills.
Nevermind, it looks like that was Congressmen they were talking about.
That is true—he is probably better than at least 80 percent of Republicans in DC on this issue.
This is the Roman Senate, and we are in the Bread and Circuses phase of the empire.
Also the root of "senile"?
Throw the old Bastards out.
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