What happened to ending earmarks Obama?

[sideoutshu]

I guess we can add Obama to the list of "say anything to win" politicians who do a complete 180 once they hit office.


Promises, Promises
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03122009/postopinion/editorials/promises__promises_159195.htm


President Obama once again solemnly promised congressional earmark re form yesterday - even as he signed a deficit-ballooning ($410 billion!) bill stuffed with 8,500 of the critters.

Listen to what I say, seems to be his message - and don't watch what I do.

Earmarks funnel tax money to lawmakers' pet projects, without undergoing normal scrutiny and debate - and they've become the bane of the legislative process. The earmarks in yesterday's measure totaled a whopping $7.7 billion.

That's enough to keep America's gas tanks full for more than a week. But Congress would rather spend $5.8 million on a new Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate - among many other things.

In his speech, Obama conceded that "earmarks have been used as a vehicle for waste and fraud and abuse." Yet, while the bill he was signing was "imperfect," he said, "I also view this as a departure point for more far-reaching change."

Translation: We'll do better next time.

Sorry, Mr. President. That line may work in Chicago politics, but it doesn't fly when you're in the White House.

Heck, it doesn't even fly outside the White House. Imagine blowing the limit on your credit card by a couple grand - and then telling the card company, "Sorry, I'll do better next time."

Plus, who really believes Obama's pledge of better behavior? Between the stimulus and the budget, he's shown neither the ability nor the inclination to control spending.

He had an easy chance to stand for earmark reform with this bill - but he got rolled by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

And "The speaker made me do it" isn't acceptable, either.

Yes, it is hard for a president to stand up to his own party. But if Obama can't pull it off during his first 100 days, when will he be able to do it?

Unfortunately, Obama seems more comfortable with blaming someone else:

* He can't do anything about the economy - because he inherited it.

* He can't do anything about the deficit - because he inherited it.

* He can't do anything about earmarks in Washington - because he inherited those, too.

Someone get this man a box of tissues.

Or, better yet, a video reel of him stumping against earmarks just last year: "We can no longer accept a process that doles out earmarks based on a member of Congress' seniority, rather than the merit of the project," he said.

"We can no longer accept an earmarks process that has become so complicated to navigate that a municipality or non-profit group has to hire high-priced DC lobbyists to do it.

"And we can no longer accept an earmarks process in which many of the projects being funded fail to address the real needs of our country."

That was then.

Yesterday is now.

Pitiful. Truly pitiful.

[Nevada_Ballin]

Kinda funny how the GOP is yapping about the earmarks when they themselves have written in $100's of millions of earmarks in that bill spending bill (which Bush would have signed as well since it is actually leftover business from last year).

But i do agree, i expected Obama to do the "line item veto of earmarks" that he said he would during his campaign. Definitely a fail on this.


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[sideoutshu]

Kinda funny how the GOP is yapping about the earmarks when they themselves have written in $100's of millions of earmarks in that bill spending bill (which Bush would have signed as well since it is actually leftover business from last year).

But i do agree, i expected Obama to do the "line item veto of earmarks" that he said he would during his campaign. Definitely a fail on this.


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Why is it that when republicans point out democrat-hypocrisy it is "yapping"?

[allend]

Calm down Hannity Jr. He didn't promise to end them in his first year in office. Maybe he has to roll w/the system b/c thats the smaller of two messes. (The economy being the 1st). Maybe he figures that it'd be better to get (what he perceives as "important") legislation passed to help the people who are hurting right now. (And I'm not saying that he's right or wrong I'm simply trying to add some perspective). So, maybe when things settle he'll tackle that problem but right now there are bigger fish to fry. It's funny to see ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL the endlessssssssssssssssssss daily updates about what he's doing wrong. Back away from FOX News channel and go on a date or something!!! ;)

[Nevada_Ballin]

Why is it that when republicans point out democrat-hypocrisy it is "yapping"?

did anyone say the opposite wasn't true? A little defensive are we? lol

Add to the "kinda funny" column - you saying the GOP pointing out democratic-hypocrisy as "yapping" when my post was about the GOP hypocrisy on the same issue :D

[sideoutshu]

Calm down Hannity Jr. He didn't promise to end them in his first year in office. Maybe he has to roll w/the system b/c thats the smaller of two messes. (The economy being the 1st). Maybe he figures that it'd be better to get (what he perceives as "important") legislation passed to help the people who are hurting right now. (And I'm not saying that he's right or wrong I'm simply trying to add some perspective). So, maybe when things settle he'll tackle that problem but right now there are bigger fish to fry. It's funny to see ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL the endlessssssssssssssssssss daily updates about what he's doing wrong. Back away from FOX News channel and go on a date or something!!! ;)

You don't have to go to Foxnews to see evidence that Obama is welching on his campaign promises kid.

Why would interest in politics indicate I need to go on a date?

[TheRealist]

An argument being tossed around is how earmarks only comprise about 1% of this bill...therefore do you believe it to be a bit extreme that people would not pass the bill on the sole justification of it being riddled with earmarks?

There is a point in that, but it is still taxpayer money. As such, it was also promised that this sort of thing would stop under the premise of "change". It is very disappointing that we've reverted back to this, but at the same time Republicans should fight this subtly and focus their argumentation on something else...oh idk, how about the other 99% of the budget?

At the same time, is it not significant if the govt. would allocate 1% of GDP to me? I mean...it's not REALLY that much, but it actually REALLY is. So I guess 1% does matter...

The overall problem is the hypocrisy of both party's. Blame goes around and around and no one has any credibility because they're both equally guilty. Let's alleviate all the bs on both sides so an effective argument can take place.

[TheSphinx 2.0]

I think this is more of an idictment of the American public than politicians. We are so invested in supporting our side that we make excuses when they go against their promises.

Instead of holding all our politicians accountable for what they say we only hold the other side accontable and blidnly support our side.

Obama said no earmarks but now he is going against that. He is probably more politically strong now than he will ever be so if can't stop them now when can he stop them. But if you are a supporter instead of just saying "man it is disappointing that he is going back on his word" you just start attacking Republicans. All that does is allow the politicians to get away with promising you the world to get elected then welching on those promises as soon as they get elected.

You guys have to get over this knee-jerk response of attacking the other side rather than looking at your side and acknowledging were you are getting screwed. That is why politicans are screwing us. Because they know that they masses are too busy trying to trash the other party than actually monitor theirs.

Think about it for a sec: During the iraq war all the war spending bills were loaded with pork and no-bid contracts and goodies for the politicians' friends. Dems complained and said they were robbing the American people (which they were) but repubs didn't becuase they had the power and they wanted to wield it. Now the situation is exactly reversed. Dems have the power and they are stuffing in things to benefit their power base (and robbing the American people). Neither party really cares about robbing the American people because they are both doing it. They just don't want the other party to be able to do it. So while the masses are yelling at each other and feeling good because "their side won" and "the other side made a gaffe" they are slowly getting robbed by both parties.

I am willing to bet that over the next 20 years the rich will get richer at a faster pace than the not so rich and the distribution of wealth will continue to skew upwards no matter who is in power. Anybody want to take the other side of that?

Over the last 8 years you would think people have learned the downside of being a partisan hack that is more interested in blindly following their party than using their brain. I am not sure why Dems would do the same thing they bashed Republicans for. It just proves my point that both parties are interested in their own power and not the country and the supporters are the enablers. Just because you are a Dem doesn't mean Obama can do no wrong and just because you are a Repub doesn't mean Obama can do no right. As long as people keep thinking that proving their party is right is more important than actually doing what is right we all will continued to get hoses by our politicians.

Obama has gone back on his word on something that is easy to do and something that he made a big issue about. It is not too hard to acknowledge that. Does that mean he will be the worst president ever? Of course not. Does it mean he is the same politican as everybody else. Probably...but I never thought any different.

-TS

[bk1998]

You guys have to get over this knee-jerk response of attacking the other side rather than looking at your side and acknowledging were you are getting screwed. That is why politicans are screwing us. Because they know that they masses are too busy trying to trash the other party than actually monitor theirs.

Yeah, good luck there. Nearly everyone on this forum reads these post with the "how can I attack the other side" point of view rather than simply trying to understand, without bias, what the individual is saying.

It's sickening. The "liberals" can't respond without bringing up Bush in an effort to bash/justify, and the "conservatives" can't respond without taking shots and nitpicking every little thing.

Absolutely retarded. Some of the worst I've ever seen, right here on VG.

[mightypharaoh]

Yeah, good luck there. Nearly everyone on this forum reads these post with the "how can I attack the other side" point of view rather than simply trying to understand, without bias, what the individual is saying.

It's sickening. The "liberals" can't respond without bringing up Bush in an effort to bash/justify, and the "conservatives" can't respond without taking shots and nitpicking every little thing.

Absolutely retarded. Some of the worst I've ever seen, right here on VG.


good point indeed!

[Dazed N Confuse]

Yeah, good luck there. Nearly everyone on this forum reads these post with the "how can I attack the other side" point of view rather than simply trying to understand, without bias, what the individual is saying.

It's sickening. The "liberals" can't respond without bringing up Bush in an effort to bash/justify, and the "conservatives" can't respond without taking shots and nitpicking every little thing.

Absolutely retarded. Some of the worst I've ever seen, right here on VG.


I agree!! I guess we follow the lead of our own politicians...

[JoeJGibbs]

Yeah, good luck there. Nearly everyone on this forum reads these post with the "how can I attack the other side" point of view rather than simply trying to understand, without bias, what the individual is saying.

It's sickening. The "liberals" can't respond without bringing up Bush in an effort to bash/justify, and the "conservatives" can't respond without taking shots and nitpicking every little thing.

Absolutely retarded. Some of the worst I've ever seen, right here on VG.

HAHAHHAAA and the thread just ended here.