McCaskill takes GOP to task on earmarks
McCaskill
WASHINGTON –Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., brought a dual attack on earmarks this afternoon: a resolution to cut down on the practice and a verbal lashing on the Senate floor of GOP leaders who embrace them.
McCaskill, poking a pencil at the podium as she spoke, said she couldn’t understand Republicans who criticized the stimulus package for being weighed down with earmarks then sponsor earmarks themselves on the giant omnibus spending bill under consideration.
“Every single member of Republican leadership has earmarks in this bill,” McCaskill said. “Every single one of these people rejected the stimulus … because supposedly they were so upset about wasteful spending.”
At one point, McCaskill made a veiled criticism of her fellow Missouri senator, Christopher S. “Kit” Bond, R-Mo., saying there are some who argue that bureaucrats should not decide where spending goes. This has been a common argument made by Bond, a major supporter of earmarks.
“This notion that bureaucrats are doing the decision making — we have the power to tell the bureaucrats how to spend the money,” McCaskill said.
“This notion that somehow we need to do earmarks because the bureaucrats are going to run amok, I don’t get it,” she added.
Bond saw little difference in McCaskill’s logic and the current way of doing things.
“When Congress tells bureaucrats how to spend money — that’s earmarking,” Bond said in an e-mail through his spokeswoman, Shana Marchio. “The bottom line is that I trust local leaders to set priorities in Missouri, not Washington bureaucrats.”
McCaskill’s resolution to limit earmarks would:
- Require earmarks to be included as text in all bills rather than added late in the process;
- Make it law that bills with earmarks to be posted online within 2 days of introduction;
- Expand the authority of individual senators to challenge earmarks;
- Allow earmarks only on public projects.
We need more in office with the common sense and decency and compassion of McCaskill, then this government would become a better place.
Walker, you are a fool. This is purely a political stunt. This lady voted for 800 billion in pet spending. She can afford to be “upset” with earmarks now, they already have 800 billion worth.
By the way Claire, Are there any democrat earmarks in this bill? Look inside your own party, bimbo. There are plenty of earmarks there as well, hypocrite.
Is the Post ever going to tell folks about McCaskill’s off shore tax avoidance? Worth millions…
Didn’t think so…
Ma “Kettle” McCaskill taking the GOP to task on earmarks. Me too! along with the Democrats at 60% earmarks and GOP at 40%. You’re all crooks! Congress should be let go for a lack of thought!
Seems like its time for the states to have checks & balances on the federal government. You know, a body that represented the states’ interest, and could say NO to the feds? Why didn’t the framers of the Constitution create this?
Oh, wait… they did. It was called the Senate.
Time to repeal the 17th Amendment. Way PAST time.
As a famous Missourian, Mark Twain once said, “Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”
It appears that many of the Republican entrants into the fray of civil discourse (and I use the term “civil discourse”in the broadest terms) have selective memories.
The multiple and varied crisis we find ourselves in is a creation of 8 years of mismanagement under the Bush Administration and a predominantly Republican Congress.
As John Adams said, “Facts are stubborn things.”
Here are the facts, Senator McCaskill:
Your party voted for 60% of the earmarks in the Omnibus Spending Bill. You conveniently left that out of your comments. Why do you suppose that is?
The deficit is now $7 trillion and climbing. It is estimated, according to the POTUS proposed budget to be double that, $15 trillion, by 2011. How do you intend to stop that?
If you believe in B.O.’s “Non-Partisan” approach and “reaching across the aisle,” then you should attack, equally, members of both parties. I have seen nothing to indicate you are in support of ANY reaching across the aisle.
I am certain you are counting on most voters to have a short memory. Senator, 2012 is not that far away. In polticial terms it is almost here. Most everyone is focusing on 2010, but do you hear those footsteps coming up behind you?
danmxx
my memory tells me 02′ thru 06′ where some darn good years for everyone. Does your memory tell you which party took over congress in 06′? As far as the current congress/white house CHANGE..Only from bad to worse!
McCaskill needs to pay attention to her own Part first. Her President promised, as a presidential candidate, and beyond, that he ‘would end earmarks” That Bozo will be signing his own budget in the next week or so and it has 9000 earmarks in it……..Hey, Bozo, use your veto….he McCaskill, tell the President to veto that bloated, insane spending spree.
This is a perfect example of just how out of touch McCaskill really is. She thinks she has a future in a Democratic Administration…..she does, some democratic dog catcher office in outstate MO. What a political hack, carrying water for Obama
Hooray for Claire. I’m sure she will follow up on her disgust with earmarks by voting against the bill. But then again, voting against the bill would mean that she wants President Obama to “Fail!”
Senator McCaskill,
As a Missourian, I am happy that you voted against the earmarks. I am also happy that you made a statement against those earmarks.
Now, putting my cynic’s cap on, I am hoping that you did that for us, the people of Missouri, and on a bigger scale, the citizens of the United States of America.
But with said cap on, I ask the following questions:
Would you vote the same way if you were the deciding vote in the Senate?
Would you vote the same way if President Obama asked you not to? Meaning that since this was a lost cause already, your vote was mostly symbolic and a largely political gesture (but appreciated by Missourians, none the less).
And venturing into political gesturing:
Would you accept an invitation to be a guest speaker at the St. Louis Tea Party Tax Day Party (April 15th)? That would be a great way to bring the so-called transparency back to the party.
If you feel you have something to say, then why not address the group. We are all constituents and we pay taxes. It would be enlightening and relevant. Thank you Senator McCaskill for listening (or not)!
Amazedbythelunacy, let’s refrain from the blatantly sexist insults. “Bimbo”? Please. Let’s address the issue at hand, not Sen. McCaskill’s gender.
What Ms. McCaskill refuses to acknowledge is that when a bad plan is going to go forth, you have to make the best of it. The Democrats want to spend their way to economic recovery. It is a bad plan, but spending a few billion less than those trillions is a worst plan. If you are going to “solve” the problem with money, you need to make sure the money is directed to fruitful projects, not programs that will continually drain the public money for generations to come.
So yes, Ms. McCaskill, GOP leaders are earmarking monies to avoid you getting your hands on it for wasteful spending that our great grandchildren will be paying.
The better option is to revoke the so-call stimulus package in its entirety. but reduce spending is never an option for those that wish to ensnare children not yet born.
what a great job clair is doing so far in d.c. lightyears better than bond or talent, she is really working for the people as she did as state auditor.
Until the President is given line-item veto authority, the federal budget will continue to contain “pork” projects. I recommend that everyone write to their Congressional representatives (both House and Senate) and tell them that’s what you want. Let’s see how far that legislation will go.
$800 billion earmark, the so-called stimulus. McCaskill likes that!
Dems good, Reps bad. It’s all they want you to know.
Ma Kettle in Baby Fat rides again…She speak with forked tongue…speak words with “no Iron”… all Repubs. leaderships did not have earmarks..John Mc. did not…..who is this person we voted to correct the wrongs and now she is pushing for them..Comrade!
“…the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.
It serves always to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.”
- George Washington Farewell Address September 26, 1796.
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
-Thomas Jefferson
It is too bad a government conceived by wise people is now being destroyed despite their warnings.
‘Amazedbythelunacy’
Most ironic name ever.
Until the American people can get past party politics and see that both sides are screwing you over, until the American people go yank these jackals out of their plush chairs and throw them out into the streets and throw rotten fruits at them it will always remain status quo. A dog and pony show. BECAUSE THERE IS NO REPERCUSSIONS FOR THEIR ACTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow all you whiny repuglicans are so quick to “not recall” that zero R’s voted for economic stimulus, yet they still put in earmarks because THEY KNEW IT WOULD PASS. THAT, my friends, is hypocrisy.
Tartan- Those 9000 earmarks you are referring to are actually in the spending bill that was supposed to be passed in the tail end of Bushes term that got pushed into Obamas.
Facts are stubborn things.