By Bob Parks ——Bio and Archives--August 4, 2008
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Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid tried to shove an $11.3 billion pork-barrel bill past the Republicans last week but was gunned down by Oklahoman Tom Coburn and 39 of his friends. It was an embarrassing defeat for Mr. Reid, who never met a spending bill he didn't like, and a sweet victory for Mr. Coburn and his fellow Republicans who are trying to regain the trust of the GOP's disillusioned base as the party of fiscal discipline.That was a step in the right direction, pardon the pun. Someone has to be the adult up there.
Mr. Coburn, an obstetrician who still delivers babies, earned his reputation as the Senate's Dr. No for using his senatorial prerogative to place a hold on nearly 80 spending bills, enraging Democrats and a few Republicans who saw one budget-busting bill after another shredded and shelved by the Western waste fighter. Frustrated by the pile of bills Mr. Coburn was killing, Mr. Reid cobbled dozens of them into one fat-filled, omnibus monstrosity called the Advancing America's Priorities Act and made it the Senate's priority business at midweek. The measure included $1.5 billion for the District of Columbia's Metro subway line (which comes out to $2,061 per average weekday rider); $12 million to build an orchid-growing greenhouse in Maryland; $4 million for the War of 1812 bicentennial commission; $5 million for a museum in Poland; $17 million to protect people from injuries from chimps and other nonhuman primates; and $24 million more for the United Nations."Injuries from chimps and other nonhuman primates". I guess Reid had to throw in the "nonhuman" part or else that money would be eaten up by citizens who were victimized by gangs. If they Congress and Senate are going to give us the finger and not vote up-or-down on measures that will help the American people at the pump, then they shouldn't benefit by issuing pork that'll help them come November. See how this works?
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Bob Parks is a is a member/writer of the National Advisory Council of Project 21. Bob’s websites are Black & Right and youtube.com/BlackAndRight