IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Conservative Arizona Republic Columnist Robert Robb: “‘Tea Party’ Courter J.D. Hayworth Was An Active Earmarker”
“The incongruity of J.D. Hayworth purporting to run as the ‘tea party’ champion came into sharp and humorous relief last week.
As it turns out, Hayworth served as a barker on an infomercial for one of these ‘get government money for free’ outfits after leaving Congress. The company had some legal problems, and Hayworth issued an apology for not having checked it out sufficiently.
Hayworth, however, knew full well he was encouraging people to get on the government gravy train. There are various issues animating the tea-party movement, but runaway federal spending would certainly seem to be at the top of the list. Hayworth played the spending game while a congressman and seemed quite comfortable serving as a pitchman for taking advantage of government programs most tea partyers think ought not to exist. … Earmarks are funding tacked onto spending bills by members of Congress for pet projects in their districts.
Congressman Jeff Flake correctly describes them as a gateway drug for runaway government spending. It’s how the spenders keep the rest of Congress in line. … The question is whether the member of Congress plays the earmark game, avariciously pursuing earmarks
and going along with the spenders to protect them. Hayworth did as a member of Congress and did so proudly, issuing press releases claiming credit for the bacon he brought home.”– The Arizona Republic’s Robert Robb
By Robert Robb
The Arizona Republic
June 27, 2010
From the political notebook:
• The incongruity of J.D. Hayworth purporting to run as the “tea party” champion came into sharp and humorous relief last week. As it turns out, Hayworth served as a barker on an infomercial for one of these “get government money for free” outfits after leaving Congress. The company had some legal problems, and Hayworth issued an apology for not having checked it out sufficiently. Hayworth, however, knew full well he was encouraging people to get on the government gravy train. There are various issues animating the tea-party movement, but runaway federal spending would certainly seem to be at the top of the list.
Hayworth played the spending game while a congressman and seemed quite comfortable serving as a pitchman for taking advantage of government programs most tea partyers think ought not to exist.
Tea partyers have a long and substantial list of grievances against Sen. John McCain: opposition to the George W. Bush tax cuts, campaign-finance reform, a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, bailouts, cap-and-trade. In fact, McCain has often personified what many tea partyers think is wrong with the Republican Party.
However, McCain has been a very consistent hawk on spending. Hayworth has not.
• The point is also illustrated by earmarks, about which McCain and Hayworth are having a not very edifying exchange. Earmarks are funding tacked onto spending bills by members of Congress for pet projects in their districts. Congressman Jeff Flake correctly describes them as a gateway drug for runaway government spending. It’s how the spenders keep the rest of Congress in line.
McCain accuses Hayworth of being an avid earmarker, which he was. But he points to some of the more ridiculous earmarks Hayworth voted for to support his claim. Hayworth responds by citing the bailout bill McCain voted for and asserts it had lots of earmarks. McCain counters that the bailout bill was clean in that regard. It’s all irrelevant, at least to this political argument. The issue isn’t whether a member of Congress has voted for earmarks. Given that virtually every spending bill is larded with them, I’m sure that every member of Congress has ended up voting for some pretty skanky ones.
The question is whether the member of Congress plays the earmark game, avariciously pursuing earmarks and going along with the spenders to protect them.
Hayworth did as a member of Congress and did so proudly, issuing press releases claiming credit for the bacon he brought home.
Hayworth’s earmarks weren’t of the ridiculous earwax-museum variety. They were generally for worthwhile projects, but projects of truly local concern without national significance. Hayworth didn’t abuse earmarks, but he played the game. McCain has not.
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