Will Pelosi steal a march on pork moratorium?
posted at 2:54 pm on March 6, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
We warned Republicans to get behind a unilateral pork moratorium to ensure they had the high road for 2008. Now it looks as if Nancy Pelosi may try to steal the issue from the GOP by endorsing a one-year moratorium. But how will she get Jack Murtha to agree?
House Democrats are discussing a plan to hijack a signature issue of the opposition party: earmarks.
Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer and senior Democratic aides said that Speaker Nancy Pelosi , other party leaders and their staffs were examining a moratorium on appropriations earmarks. …
An earmark cutoff would be a dramatic change to business as usual. Incumbents would no longer be able to point to such directed spending to demonstrate a local benefit to sending them to Washington.
But it would also co-opt a GOP campaign theme and, despite the potential political handicap to Democratic incumbents, Pelosi is considering the move as a demonstration of fiscal responsibility.
Obviously, this would be good news for porkbusters and for the nation, if Pelosi and Hoyer take this seriously. The earmarking scandals have fully bipartisan pedigrees, and both parties have to be part of the eventual reform. Ending the practice will loosen the hold of lobbyists on the appropriations process and impact the grip of incumbents on their seats, improving the entire electoral process. It might even reduce the costs of elections and the need for 24/7 fundraising.
In fact, all of that makes it less likely that we’ll actually see a moratorium at all. People like James Moran and John Murtha are not going to sit quietly while their Speaker shuts down their ability to bolster their political base during an election year. Pelosi may toy with this idea for a while, but don’t expect the former appropriator to do anything that alienates Murtha or Moran, two powerful members of her caucus.
If she does, though, she could very well steal a march on the GOP. They had the opportunity to make themselves into a reforming party in Washington and to put the Democrats on the defensive. Lost opportunties like these will come back to haunt the Republicans in 2008.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages:
Love the picture, Ed.
d1carter on March 6, 2008 at 2:57 PM
Great photo…take me to your leader.
Nancy, I loved you in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
RobCon on March 6, 2008 at 2:59 PM
Which amusement park photo booth was that photo taken in?
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on March 6, 2008 at 2:59 PM
the reps. are allowing the dems. to look smart. now that’s dumb.
jimmer on March 6, 2008 at 3:00 PM
So true…the worst part is, if Pelosi does steal this issue, I fully expect old bulls in the GOP to blame their own conservatives/reformers for the fact that they will surely remain in the minority.
syndicate on March 6, 2008 at 3:00 PM
It would suck politically, but I just can’t see it happening. If Murtha and the others can’t produce earmarks anymore, wherever will they get their reelection donations?
amerpundit on March 6, 2008 at 3:00 PM
HAHA.
Theworldisnotenough on March 6, 2008 at 3:01 PM
Ed- you have to stop posting that picture. It makes me want to ride a comet into the next life.
Chuck Schick on March 6, 2008 at 3:01 PM
Can you imagine the screw-tightening-device that’s been installed on the back of her head?
OhEssYouCowboys on March 6, 2008 at 3:03 PM
Pelosi/reform? HAHAHAHA!!!
kcd on March 6, 2008 at 3:03 PM
And if they tighten those screws just a couple more times, Nancy’s going to have breast bags under her eyes and a goatee.
Geronimo on March 6, 2008 at 3:04 PM
Is anyone else here getting the feeling that the Republican establishment doesn’t care about anyone but themselves?
ninjapirate on March 6, 2008 at 3:05 PM
Let’s be real about this. No professional politician can refrain from spending money for pet projects. All this talk and posturing is just that, gabble for the unwashed masses to absorb while business as usual continues.
SeniorD on March 6, 2008 at 3:06 PM
I’m in the process of finishing lunch, and I, literally, almost spewed fruit juice all over my screen.
OhEssYouCowboys on March 6, 2008 at 3:06 PM
GOP could have taken back the fiscal brand if they ran with an anti-pork reform message a year ago, now the Dems will get a big lift in the media if they do this. but as a taxpayer i’ll just be happy someone is stopping the gravy train. wonder what this does for the McCain/DeMint earmark vote in the Senate?
thankful on March 6, 2008 at 3:06 PM
Pelosi is just trying to call the GOP’s supposed bluff. The Republicans follow through and Pelosi is sunk. Her and Harry Reids mental gymnastics will be in full swing trying to justify earmarks.
Boehner you listening? Call her bluff, get the holdouts in line, and support the moratorium.
Theworldisnotenough on March 6, 2008 at 3:07 PM
Yeah. Tell us all about endorsing it, Pelosi. But let us see you put your money where your mouth is and eforce it.
Lawrence on March 6, 2008 at 3:08 PM
LMAO!!!!
kcd on March 6, 2008 at 3:11 PM
I’ll believe it when I see it- no way the likes of Murtha, Byrd, Moran or the other corrupticrats will take an actual (as opposed to loophole-filled) moratorium without throwing a major fit.
Hollowpoint on March 6, 2008 at 3:21 PM
i like earmarks. i think we should dispense with the budgeting process and go to 100% earmarks. the dems and republicans would take turns.
given the addiction to earmarks by the pigs in congress, it would be interesting to see what would happen to “entitlements” when they become only one of many options. What would you like, food stamps or a statue of your likeness to remember what a great servant you have been??? I trust that the republicans would take care of the military but after that: Ooohhh Nelly!!!!
sullyntexas on March 6, 2008 at 3:29 PM
A one year moratorium, and then next year just double or triple the amount of pork just to make up for the year that was lost to a moratorium on pork.
yep. that’ll do it.
Kokonut on March 6, 2008 at 3:36 PM
Even if they did do it, I don’t trust them to keep their word after the election. That said, as a Republican I’m pissed at both parties for their irresponsibility on this issue.
CP on March 6, 2008 at 3:42 PM
Horrors! John Murtha’s Center for Instrumented Critical Infrastructure might have to go out of business. He’ll never let that happen.
Seriously though, how can they word it so they can claim to cut pork, while at the same time promising to expand “programs” and “centers” etc.?
eeyore on March 6, 2008 at 3:56 PM
It’s a good strategy for Pelosi to try. If she succeeded, she could position the Democratic party as the one that is for sensible budgeting and match it up with the “tax cuts led to higher deficits” mantra to hang around the neck of “irresponsible” Republicans (which they were….)
With a disciplined party, it could work. Which is why it won’t.
How many failed efforts will this make for the majority of Pelosi, Hoyer, Reid, etc.? I lost count during the ridiculous “100 hours” that kept starting & stopping a few months ago.
cs89 on March 6, 2008 at 4:05 PM
I think Murtha has built up, ill gained, good will in his district for him and his Critical Infrastructure to survive for one year.
burt on March 6, 2008 at 5:01 PM
If this happens then it will prove without a doubt that the GOP is the new part of bloated government. The GOP deserves to be out of power for decades to come.
Warner Todd Huston on March 6, 2008 at 6:13 PM
All talk and no action. Politicians from both sides will continue wiggling in to feed on the pork. Pork, does that make them cannibals?
TooTall on March 6, 2008 at 6:16 PM
Darn it, Hotair! Why you have to keep running that scary looking picture of LalaPelosi? Blasted thing is enough to give anyone nightmares!
pilamaye on March 6, 2008 at 6:31 PM
Has anyone coined the term Porkatorium yet? If not, I claim it as mine!!!
jsingood on March 6, 2008 at 7:00 PM
What will the constituents say? No more “something for nothing?” Any congressman who doesn’t have a beef with pork is just plain chicken.
NNtrancer on March 6, 2008 at 8:32 PM
For those of you that missed the Ed’s radio show, how the ‘Rats are going to circumvent this was discussed. That was one of the two ways they’ll do it (continuing resolutions until the next Congress, which won’t be bound by the “moratorium” comes in).
The other is more insidious; letters to various agencies “highly recommending” certain projects get funded. They’ve already done it; just ask Harry Reid.
steveegg on March 6, 2008 at 8:42 PM
Comment pages: