-
SEQUESTER: The Horror!
March 1, 2013 | 4 comments
-
SOTU Preview: Human Props, Budget Fights, and Wedge Issues
February 12, 2013 | 0 comments
-
Hello, I Must Be Going
August 14, 2012 | 18 comments
-
Weekend Political Wrap-Up, Paul Ryan Edition
August 12, 2012 | 16 comments
-
Esquire Blogger Sees Paul Ryan, Shreds His Safety Net
August 11, 2012 | 13 comments
The Spectacle Blog
Personally, I’d rather see a requirement that earmarks have a legitimate federal perspective — that is, be used for federal, constitutional activities rather than local projects — than a blanket ban on earmarks. I think the fixation with earmarks is overblown and I’d rather the focus be on much larger spending programs. But I nevertheless think the Senate Republicans should adopt the moratorium for the very reason Senator McConnell outlined: this is the bare minimum people expect as a gesture that Republicans are more credible on spending. Rejecting the moratorium and opting for earmarks would be a sign the GOP still wants to campaign as a limited government party but govern as a big spending one.
View all comments (3) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by W. James Antle, III
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/11/15/on-earmarks
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- The Continuing Crisis
- Peace in Our Times
- A President Loses His Power
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
H/T to National Review Online
ADVERTISEMENT
David W| 11.15.10 @ 4:39PM
Precisely. If the GOP can't handle something simple like banning earmarks (or providing sufficient justification for an earmark that isn't only for the national spoon museum of Gooberville, Texas) then the next cycle will see the Democrats in control again.
Oldefarte| 11.15.10 @ 4:40PM
I agree [especially with the emphasis on the larger picture of overall spending reduction]. This BULLEXCREMENT has got to stop now, and if earmark elimination is the first step, so be it!!!!!!!
Tim*| 11.15.10 @ 11:54PM
"Congress returned Monday to a tumultuous political landscape, with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell conceding to a top demand of the tea party movement by endorsing a ban on earmarks.
McConnell, a master of purveying federal pork for his home state of Kentucky, had stood firm in his defense of the practice. But an insurgent group of conservatives led by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) had rallied enough senators to defeat McConnell if the issue came to a vote.
With just two GOP senators on the record in support of McConnell's position, the minority leader announced his reversal on the Senate floor moments after the chamber was gaveled into session after the midterm-election break. "