Obstructionists and Hypocrites

The GOP has hit on a strategy to delay or outright stop any legislation from passage, and then blaming the Democrats for not passing any decent legislation. They are now filibustering moving bills already passed by both houses of Congress (9-11 Commission recommendations, lobbying reform) into a conference report. They are doing absolutely everything they can to obstruct a Democratic agenda which is broadly popular in the country.



In the White House, we have a President that has suddenly found the fiscal conservative bone in his body, and who has threatened to veto any spending bill that doesn't meet with his supposedly modest goals. Meanwhile, on planet Earth, Bush is inserting his own earmarks like crazy, while calling everyone else out for inserting theirs:

Democratic and Republican appropriators are accusing President Bush of urging Congress to pack spending bills with pet projects despite his high-profile crackdown on earmarks this year.

A House Appropriations Committee report accompanying legislation funding the Department of the Interior shows that Bush requested 93 of the 321 earmarks in the bill. A panel report for the financial services and general government spending bill showed that Bush requested 17 special projects worth $947 million, more than any single member of Congress.

Senate appropriators have identified more than 350 earmarks in the military construction spending bill requested by the president.

Lawmakers say these lists of earmarks are inconsistent with Bush’s tough talk on earmarks this year.

Ya think? Name the last time a Republican was consistent with his rhetoric.

As I've said, we're in the age of Republican chutzpah. Desperate to win politically despite being deeply disliked, the GOP is putting party above the needs and desires of the American people.