Tuesday, December 07, 2004
The land of the pork barrels
Republicans in Congress are being blamed for holding on to Newt Gingrich's old revolution of 1994. However, House majority leader, Tom Delay (R-Tx), is far from the same man as Newt, and the House over which Hastert is watching is far more interested in getting government interventions.
In fact, this article in Slate, shows that today's Republican majority behaves more reckless with taxpayers' money than before - 3,407 pork barrel projects to appropriation bills in conference committee, compared to 47 for 1994 when Democrats ruled the floor. (For further facts, see also this Boston Globe article.
Not that this necessarily means that Democrats are standing up for fiscal conservatism. Nevertheless, it points to the fact that there are some distinct differences between the Contract with America and today's Republican revolution.
In fact, this article in Slate, shows that today's Republican majority behaves more reckless with taxpayers' money than before - 3,407 pork barrel projects to appropriation bills in conference committee, compared to 47 for 1994 when Democrats ruled the floor. (For further facts, see also this Boston Globe article.
Not that this necessarily means that Democrats are standing up for fiscal conservatism. Nevertheless, it points to the fact that there are some distinct differences between the Contract with America and today's Republican revolution.
