Earmark victory
I was too busy to blog about it yesterday, but it looks like Jim DeMint's strategy paid off, and the Senate, under a reluctant Harry Reid, has adopted much tougher earmark reform than I ever thought possible, by a final vote of 98 to 0.
I'm actually beginning to like this Congress. I know some Republicans will say that the Democrats' hearts aren't really in this, that they're just posing for the camera to make a good first impression. Likewise, Democrats will say that Republicans are being disingenuous for "rediscovering" their fiscal conservative bona fides only after the Democrats took control.
You know what? They're probably both right. But it doesn't matter. It's a good reform and it's passed overwhelmingly, regardless of what cynical calculations went into it. That's more than happened during the past six years of Republican hegemony.
Comments
I'm glad to see you (soberly) happy again ;)
Posted by: Rachel | January 19, 2007 02:56 PM
I think this is how government under our two-party system is SUPPOSED to work.
Posted by: Jill | January 20, 2007 08:05 PM
So, far so good. But lets not get too excited. After all it is still DC.
Posted by: John the Marine | January 20, 2007 08:24 PM
What a joke, the idea that Repugs are dragging the Dems along. If Repugs still had control they would have killed the bill.
Posted by: Bailey Hankins | January 21, 2007 01:51 AM
It IS a good Bill, but politics as usual is still going on - the law-makers backed off ending the use of corporate sponsored corporate jets and Nancy Pelosi had exempted Guam (because Demonte, owners of Starkist Tuna is the primary employer there, with it HQ in SF...in Pelosi's district) until she was shamed out of that, by the media attention.
More transparency all around, YES, that would be a very good thing.
Posted by: JMK | January 21, 2007 08:21 PM
Let us join in the spirit of bipartisanship on this one. They all feed at the same trough, ducks, and so it is not a Republican VERSUS Democrat issue, but a Republican AND Democrat issue.
They all feed at the same trough. Never forget that and your rants become less partisan and make sense to everyone of every ideological stripe. Politics is about power, getting it and maintaining it. Nothing more and nothing less.
Posted by: DBK | January 22, 2007 09:09 AM