OUR DEARLY BELOVED SENATOR GRAHAM
OUR DEARLY BELOVED SENATOR GRAHAM
(In SC we are so proud of him)
Graham criticizes Obama for earmarks, but defends his own.
On Meet the Press this morning, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) urged President Obama to veto the $410 billion FY09 omnibus budget because it has too many earmarks. Host David Gregory quickly pointed out that Graham’s friend and colleague, John McCain, has been highlighting Graham’s own $950,000 earmark for a convention center in Myrtle Beach, SC. Graham then pivoted from attacking earmarks to defending them
“I voted to take all earmarks out, but I will come back in the new process and put that back in,” Graham insisted, saying that the convention center is important to stimulate the local economy. “I think I should have the ability as a United States senator to direct money back to my state as long as it’s transparent and it makes sense.”
For more click on: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/03/08/graham-flip-earmarks/
Senator Graham Republican Welfare Queen
Lindsey, Lindsey, Lindsey. How long do you think you’ll be able to get away with this game, hon? It’s astounding to watch you defending your virtue with one hand – and grabbing as much pork as possible for your state with the other.
As Mark Karlin puts it, it’s like foreclosing on a bakery and demanding a free cake.
We need to stop this kind of hypocritical grandstanding. Here’s a good idea, via The Political Carnival:
In essence, Graham is saying he opposed the “Main Street Job Creation Act” even though it would be political suicide not to distribute the money to the voters of his state. He was joined in rabid obstruction of the bill by his fellow Republican, Senator Jim “Stonewall Jackson” DeMint.
As BuzzFlash Editor Mark Karlin proposed a couple of weeks back, the state of any senator who opposed the “Main Street Job Creation Act” should only receive half their allotted funds. If both senators opposed the bill, the state should receive no federal allotment from the legislation.
That way, hypocrites such as Lindsey Graham couldn’t grandstand their zealotry and then pass out the goodies that they fought against.
In fact, Graham represents one of the many GOP Neo-Confederate states that receives more money from the federal government than their citizens pay in taxes. That sort of makes South Carolina a welfare state as far as the Union is concerned.
As for Lindsey Graham, he’s become a talk show regular spouting GOP talking points – and then practicing the chronic hypocrisy of being a Republican welfare king for his constituents.
For more click on:
http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/sen-lindsey-graham-republican-welfare
Graham defends earmarks on ‘Meet the Press’
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham defended earmarks he inserted in the federal budget, including one U.S. Sen. John McCain, Graham’s close friend and the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, listed as one of the “10 Porkiest” projects in the budget.
Graham has also urged President Obama to veto the budget Graham says has too much pork.
Earmarks are one-time spending items members of Congress insert in the budget that are typically sent to projects and programs in their own states.
Graham earmarked $950,000 for the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. He has by one count 37 earmarks in the federal budget.
“I voted to take all earmarks out, but I will come back in the new process and put that back in,” Graham said on the show. “Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, we’re trying to build an international airport, an international convention center and open up a new interstate highway to diversify Myrtle Beach’s economy.”
Here is the exchange from the “Meet the Press” transcript.
For more Click on:
http://thestatecom.typepad.com/ygatoday/2009/03/graham-defends-earmarks-on-meet-the-press.html
