Melissa Bean Flips on Pork
Imagine my surprise to learn that 8th congressional district congresswoman Melissa Bean is now against pork.
I seem to remember her announcing this highway project and that highway project just last year.
Her press release is dated July 29, 2005.
What a difference a year makes.
Will she mimick Democratic Party Presidental candidate John Kerry and explain, "I voted for it before I voted against it?"
She votes for almost all of the appropriation bills and claimed that she was responsible for securing $24 million of district funding in the Tranportation bill that was signed into law last summer. If she has a plan to reduce spending, it has not made a big splash.
Now, however, she is the only Illinois congressman to vote for eliminating at least 14 (out of 19) pork projects. She voted for all 19 amendments. Note that her sponsor Rahm Emanuel voted against all of the the amendments.
Expect a TV ad with a little porker as a visual effect.
A list of those who voted in favor of at least 14 of the 19 amendments appears at Hog Heaven. Under the heading, “House Members Who Voted Against Pork.” They are listed alphabetically.
David Hogberg, the man who did the research, calls them “taxpayer heroes” in The American Spectator article.
The Club for Growth—a fund raising group that favors lower federal spending—has developed a chart where one can check how one’s local congressman voted on the amendments.
Here, in alphabetical order, are how Illinois congressmen voted on the 19 amendments offered by Congressman Jeff Flake.
Bean – 19
Biggert – 6
Costello – 0
Davis – 0
Emanuel – 0
Evans – 0 (not voting on any)
Gutierrez – 0
Hyde – 0 (not voting on 6)
Johnson – 7
Kirk – 3
LaHood – 0
Lipinski – 0
Manzullo – 0
Rush – 0
Schakowsky – 1
Shimkus – 2
Weller – 0
Speaker Dennis Hastert is not on the list.
= = = = =
Couldn't resist including this photo of me and Miss Piggy. I am testifying in 2002 at Waukegan's tollway hearing on higher higher tolls. I told them that I did not want little Miss Piggy to grow up to be a toll tax hog.
8 comments:
Cal, do you work for a living?
Do I hear crickets chirping?
Maybe it's just the cicadas...
Say, didn't Tom DeLay "sponsor" a bunch of Republicans? Like Petey Roskam for instance.
I'm retired.
'. . . I was talking to the duck . . .'
You could at least thank her for the votes, and point out your GOP pals voted pro-pork.
Post like this are the reason that the ILGOP is in shambles. You go after people who really do cut the budget. You have lost all moral authority.
I put up how everyone voted. I thought readers of Illinoize knew which were Republicans and which Democrats.
In any event, what difference did party make?
It seems to me that both our Republican and Democratic Party congressmen voted for pork.
Interesting choice of a headline, isn't it?
Not "Big Government Republican" or "Under Denny, Government Expands"
Instead you chose to note that Bean allegedly flip flopped.
If you really cared about pork, you would have emphasized those who voted pro-pork.
Pork wasn't your issue though, was it?
You had another goal with this post.
So much for any connection between Republicans and ideas. This campaign for Republicans has nothing to do with ideas. It has everything to do with petty partisan politics. If you had any integrity, your post would have patted Cong. Bean on the back for agreeing with you on pork.
I would note that my blog is called McHenryCountyBlog.com. Hastert used to have a small part of McHenry County, but he does not now.
Bean, on the other hand, has a large part of McHenry County.
My post was about hypocrisy.
Bean liked pork last year and doesn't this year.
Maybe that doesn't seem inconsistent to some, but it does to me.
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