Tea Party Caucus takes over $1 billion in earmarks

[Tonington]

Tea Party Caucus Takes $1 Billion In Earmarks - Hotline On Call

The folks leading the charge against earmarks....kind of like when Bush said Americans are addicted to oil. Didn't mean he was going to take active measures through policies to mitigate the addiction. Well, one wonders if the Tea Partiers will be able to wean themselves off that sweet sweet pork.

I think the honest thing would be to explain that earmarks by themselves aren't always a bad thing, but maybe they need to show more restraint, and it doesn't look like they want to lead on their past record.

Keep in mind this is for fiscal year 2010:

NAME EARMARKS AMOUNT

Aderholt (R-AL) 69 $78,263,000
Akin (R-MO) 9 $14,709,000
Alexander (R-LA) 41 $65,395,000
Bachmann (R-MN) 0 0
Barton (R-TX) 14 $12,269,400
Bartlett (R-MD) 19 $43,060,650
Bilirakis (R-FL) 14 $13,600,000
R. Bishop (R-UT) 47 $93,980,000
Burgess (R-TX) 15 $15,804,400
Broun (R-GA) 0 0
Burton (R-IN) 0 0
Carter (R-TX) 26 $42,232,000
Coble (R-NC) 19 $18,755,000
Coffman (R-CO) 0 0
Crenshaw (R-FL) 37 $54,424,000
Culberson (R-TX) 22 $33,792,000
Fleming (R-LA) 10 $31,489,000
Franks (R-AZ) 8 $14,300,000
Gingrey (R-GA) 19 $16,100,000
Gohmert (R-TX) 15 $7,099,000
S. Graves (R-MO) 11 $8,331,000
R. Hall (R-TX) 16 $12,232,000
Harper (R-MS) 25 $80,402,000
Herger (R-CA) 5 $5,946,000
Hoekstra (R-MI) 9 $6,392,000
Jenkins (R-KS) 12 $24,628,000
S. King (R-IA) 13 $6,650,000
Lamborn (R-CO) 6 $16,020,000
Luetkemeyer (R-MO) 0 0
Lummis (R-WY) 0 0
Marchant (R-TX) 0 0
McClintock (R-CA) 0 0
Gary Miller (R-CA) 15 $19,627,500
Jerry Moran (R-KS) 22 $19,400,000
Myrick (R-NC) 0 0
Neugebauer (R-TX) 0 0
Pence (R-IN) 0 0
Poe (R-TX) 12 $7,913,000
T. Price (R-GA) 0 0
Rehberg (R-MT) 88 $100,514,200
Roe (R-TN) 0 0
Royce (R-CA) 7 $6,545,000
Scalise (R-LA) 20 $17,388,000
P. Sessions (R-TX) 0 0
Shadegg (R-AZ) 0 0
Adrian Smith (R-NE) 1 $350,000
L. Smith (R-TX) 18 $14,078,000
Stearns (R-FL) 17 $15,472,000
Tiahrt (R-KS) 39 $63,400,000
Wamp (R-TN) 14 $34,544,000
Westmoreland (R-GA) 0 0
Wilson (R-SC) 15 $23,334,000

TOTAL 764 $1,049,783,150​

 

[gopher]

Of course, we can expect much talk, much rage, much condemnation from the forum's infinite amount of moral, highly principled, and forthright Republicans against this outrage action by a Democratically controlled Congress and White House.

Right?

 

[YukonJack]

And, of course, in the name of fairness, we will soon see a similar list of Democrats.

 

[Cliffy]

And, of course, in the name of fairness, we will soon see a similar list of Democrats.

The Democrats were not railing against earmarks, were they?

 

[YukonJack]

The Democrats were not railing against earmarks, were they?

No, they were the greatest abusers of earmarks. No reason to assume they could or would ever change.

 

[Tonington]

And, of course, in the name of fairness, we will soon see a similar list of Democrats.

No, they were the greatest abusers of earmarks. No reason to assume they could or would ever change.

If you actually go to the link I posted, you'll see they link to Citizens Against Government Waste. All the info you need is there, including the factoid that 2006 holds the record for the peak of earmarks, at $29 billion, which they say contributed to the Republicans losing their majority in Congress.

You can search their database by many criteria:
Pork Database

 

[The Old Medic]

Most of the people named are NOT part of the Tea Party movement.

And, what the poster did not bother to mention was that the Republicans stopped this "budget" from being enacted.

Come on, be honest for a change.

 

[YukonJack]

This may have been the last hurrah of earmarks. Even those who are against them, might as well take advantage of them in this morally bankrupt lame duck Congress.

The proof of the pudding will be after the new Congress takes office.

 

[TenPenny]

This may have been the last hurrah of earmarks. Even those who are against them, might as well take advantage of them in this morally bankrupt lame duck Congress.

The proof of the pudding will be after the new Congress takes office.

'Taking advantage' of something you campaigned against would make one morally bankrupt, so you are completely correct in your assessment of Congress.

 

[damngrumpy]

First of all did you expect a different outcome? Of course they are going to take the earmarks.
If you don't you don't bring home the bacon to your district and if everyone else does then you
look to be not serving the interests of constituents. The Republicans and in particular have in
the past railed against them while taking them. There are scores of Democrats who do the
same thing it is part of the political dance. On the other hand even one Tea Party member found
taking them is a blow to their cause because it was the center piece of their campaign.
I don't think it is the end of the earmarks or the end of anyone's political career it is part of the
game. If it was not for earmarks there would be less jobs for people in the street and that would
be far worse.

 

[TenPenny]

Exactly; when you make it such a part of your campaign, you can't turn around and accept it, and expect to be taken seriously.

 

[Unforgiven]

I find this to be typical of the new regime of the right wing. Jumping headlong into what they have been blaming others for seems to be the message of the day.

 

[DaSleeper]

Most of the people named are NOT part of the Tea Party movement.

And, what the poster did not bother to mention was that the Republicans stopped this "budget" from being enacted.

Come on, be honest for a change.

You expect honesty from the left?????

 

[Unforgiven]

You expect honesty from the left?????

Who else? It's not like the right can't tell the difference between honesty and dishonesty.

 

[Tonington]

Most of the people named are NOT part of the Tea Party movement.

And, what the poster did not bother to mention was that the Republicans stopped this "budget" from being enacted.

Come on, be honest for a change.

1. I never said they were part of the Tea Party movement, the title of the post clearly identifies them as the Tea Party CAUCUS, and they are all indeed part of the Tea Party Caucus.

2. What budget are you talking about? Those figures are for the earmarks in fiscal year 2010. Not a budget, earmarks.

Both of these points were made very clearly in the opening post. Maybe you should take some time when you're reading so as to fully comprehend what is being said.

That's the honest truth. If you don't like it, that's too bad.

 

[damngrumpy]

In the final analysis the only thing the Tea Party will take over is chaos. The division in the
Republican Party will erupt into the worst case scenario that has been visited upon a party
in some time. Earmarks are funds going into constituencies for a variety of projects. In
Canada, we have MP's competing for local projects all the time, ever notice the news papers
with all the photo ops in a year? The Americans pride themselves in not having government
invest in the private sector. and nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the advances
in technology came about during the space race and the cold war, or through the American
Defence Department. The money from that source invests heavily in the defence sector and
the benefits spill over. Satellite TV, and telecommunications, cell phones, electronic games
and all of these devices came from defence department budgets and the prototypes and the
science was paid for by government money while the private sector made the money.
Earmarks are an essential part of the current system. People don't understand how they can
affect their lives. It is not about spending money it is what the money is spent on.
On one hand it is condemned by politicians and some of the voters. On the other hand these
same politicians take the money and the voters take the jobs that are created by earmarks.
It seems to me that everyone is talking out of both sides of their face with equal fervor.

 

[ironsides]

The Democrats were not railing against earmarks, were they?

Nope, some earmarks are for things that have to be done. For example earmarks were used to build the W. Virginia highway system. Most states use earmarks for safety and highway development. The highway system as well as well as main water pipes are eroding in the U.S. and have been under repair for 5 years or so, more funds are needed. All earmarks are not bad. Reason I mentioned W. Virginia is that the late Senator Byrd sold his vote's for earmarks to anyone so he could get improvements for his state. (he was a Democrat)