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

ON FACTS?: something that has actual existence <space exploration is now a fact> b: an actual occurrence <prove the fact of damage>

ON OPINIONS?: belief stronger than impression and less strong than positive knowledge b: a generally held view

ON FEELINGS?: often unreasoned opinion or belief

ON HEAR-SAY?: a rumor: a statement or report current without known authority for its truth (not accepted in court)

ON HALF-TRUTHS: a statement that mingles truth and falsehood with deliberate intent to deceive

(definitions from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/ )

——————————————-

ON WHICH ARE THE FOLLOWING BASED (from some items posted)?

GOP vice presidential pick Sarah Palin accepted at least $4,500 in campaign contributions in the same fundraising scheme at the center of a public corruption scandal that led to the indictment of Sen. Ted Stevens.

The contributions, made during Palin’s failed 2002 bid to become Alaska’s lieutenant governor, were not illegal for her to accept. But they show how Palin, a self-proclaimed reformer who has bucked Stevens and his allies, is nonetheless a product of a political system in Alaska now under the cloud of an ongoing FBI investigation.

It’s the latest in a string of revelations that have forced John McCain‘s campaign to defend his choice and the thoroughness of the background check of Palin, 44, a little-known governor who is new to the national stage. Palin stunned delegates at the GOP convention Monday when she announced through the McCain campaign that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is five months pregnant.

With the convention still abuzz, the list of potentially embarrassing details grew Tuesday:

_Palin sought pork-barrel projects for her city and state, contrary to her reformist image.

_Her husband once belonged to a fringe political group in Alaska with some members supporting secession from the United States.

_A private attorney has been authorized to spend $95,000 to defend her against accusations of abuse of power.

_She has acknowledged smoking marijuana in the past.

And this: Bristol Palin’s boyfriend, Levi Johnston, plans to join the family of the Republican vice presidential candidate at the GOP convention, the boy’s mother said. He left Alaska on Tuesday morning to join the Palin family in St. Paul, Minn.

Defending his choice and the team that helped pick her, McCain said Tuesday that “the vetting process was completely thorough.” Campaign advisers at the convention in St. Paul, Minn., said Palin filled out a survey with 70 questions, including: Have you ever paid for sex? Have you been faithful in your marriage? Have you ever used or purchased drugs? Have you ever downloaded pornography?

For the entire article click on:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080903/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_palin

Yesterday I challenged you to help me monitor faith’s role at this week’s Democratic National Convention – we will have another challenge for the Republicans next week. But, we need to be ready to ask candidates at all levels important questions about their views on the intersection of religion and government.

Today, Interfaith Alliance introduces new online resources with 5 questions to ask every political candidate.

As religion plays an increasingly prominent role in American politics, preserving the boundaries between religion and politics is more important than ever.

We want you to ask the candidates for every level of political office:

• What role will your faith or values play in creating public policy or making appointments?
• What are your views on the boundaries between religion and government?
• What steps will you take to protect the rights of your constituents regardless of faith or belief?
• How will you speak about your beliefs without making them just another political tool?
• How will you balance the principles of your faith and your obligation to defend the Constitution, particularly if the two come into conflict?

Visit www.interfaithalliance.org/5questions to watch videos from me about why we need the answers to all of our 5 questions, and read more about each one. I hope you will post your perspective – and stories about asking one of the 5 questions to our candidates – in the comments section for each of the 5 Questions.

Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili on Wednesday called for John McCain and other American leaders to do more for Georgia in their response to the conflict in his country.

“Yesterday, I heard Sen. McCain say, ‘We are all Georgians now,’” Saakashvili said on CNN’s American Morning. “Well, very nice, you know, very cheering for us to hear that, but OK, it’s time to pass from this. From words to deeds.”

For sources click on the following:

 Georgian President Challenges Mccain: Move From “Words To Deeds”

WHERE IS JESUS IN ALL OF THIS?

 In news releases, conference calls and local street protests, Democrats and union groups have blamed McCain and Davis for backing the original deal, and accused McCain of ignoring the workers’ plight. During a campaign visit last month, Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, met with Wilmington’s mayor, David Raizk, and pledged his help if elected.

 McCain moved quickly to demonstrate his own concern Thursday, his second straight day of campaigning in a state he has called vital to his White House bid. After learning that the chairman of DHL, Frank Appel, had not agreed to meet local residents, McCain promised to write to the head of parent company Deutsche Post and invite him. Earlier Thursday, McCain used a town hall in Lima, Ohio, to step up his attacks on Obama.

 For more click on:

 http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-campaign8-2008aug08,0,4031248.story

Sens. Ted Stevens of Alaska, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine all face tough re-election campaigns. Two others, Wayne Allard of Colorado and Larry Craig of Idaho, are retiring.

Granted, Ted Stevens will most likely be in court fighting to keep his butt out of jail, but it’s pretty obvious why Smith, Dole and Collins want to stay as far away as possible from George Bush and the rest of their party. Hell, Gordon Smith is even running ads in which he touts his relationship with Barack Obama. What does it say about the GOP when it’s most vulnerable members can’t get far enough away from its leaders?

Indeed, after President Bush decided not to call Congress back into session after the GOP charade over gas prices on the House floor, John Boehner is now ripping him as “Beijing George” and accusing him of throwing House Republicans “under the bone-dry bus” on his way to the Olympics in China. How stupid do these people think we are? They spend eight years enabling Bush’s worst transgressions, and then they coordinate a fake, stupid and cynical stunt and expect everyone to forget they are in lock-step with Bush? Seriously? Wow.

For the rest of the article click on:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/08/06/republicans-facing-tough-re-election-plan-to-skip-convention/