Tuesday, March 16, 2010

POLITICS - GOP and Earmarks

"Senate GOP Split Over Earmarks" by John Stanton and Jackie Kucinich, Roll Call

Excerpt

Senate Republicans, who remain deeply divided over how to handle the controversial issue of earmarks, will meet this week to hash out whether they should follow their House counterparts and impose a moratorium on the practice.

Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) said Thursday that his colleagues would discuss the issue following the enactment of moratoriums by House Democrats and Republicans. But he acknowledged no consensus exists within the Senate GOP.

“We’re going to discuss it and see what to do. We have different views within our caucus,” Alexander said.

While some lawmakers such as Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) have hailed the House moves, others have reacted coolly.

In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece on Friday, Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member James Inhofe (R-Okla.) argued that Congressional “incompetence” is to blame for rising deficits and that a one-year earmark moratorium will do no good.

Humm.... "Incompetence" of whom? Reminder, the Republicans were in full control for 8 years.

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