02.24.08
John Carter’s Earmarks
It’s always hilarious when a “government hatin'”, so-called fiscal conservative like Rep. John Carter (R-Exxon Mobil) starts showin’ off all his pet projects, aka earmarks, around the district come campaign season. Via the AAS, Earmarks, source of debate in Washington, garner love back home:
Promoting government spending is a somewhat unusual stance for Carter, particularly because the projects he touted this week are known as earmarks. Earmarks are orders for federal agencies to spend money on specific projects in specific locations. While they often deliver money that their constituents say they badly need, critics call them vessels of wasteful spending that exceed the proper role of the federal government and tempt lawmakers to funnel big-dollar projects to their favorite lobbyists and contributors.
In Washington, Carter has been on the front lines of Republican efforts to put a temporary moratorium on earmarks until a bipartisan panel comes up with a more transparent system of doling them out. But touting earmarks back home while trying to stem them in Washington is tricky, forcing Carter and other Republicans to distinguish between good earmarks and bad ones.
“I’m not one who thinks that all earmarks are evil,” Carter said this week.
Any earmark done by Carter or any other Republican is good, and any done by a Democrat are bad. It’s nothing but good ‘ol Republican hypocrisy.
But Republicans like Carter, in a “safe” district like his, aren’t really scared that the GOP lemmings in their district will actually hold something like this against them come the election. That Carter can rail against government spending and earmaks, and then turn around use them to show what a great job he’s doing is testament to the state of Republican voters in CD-31.
Allan said,
February 26, 2008 at 5:30 pm
I like John Carter and feel that he was a great Judge and has been a good representative of Williamson County. I have been a republican all my life but now feel myself leaning more towards the democrats. We have a lot of good people in both parties in this county but they are over shadowed by those that are bad and only have themselves and their well being in mind. Hopefully a change in party control in this county will help. One can only pray.
wcnews said,
February 26, 2008 at 8:49 pm
I’ve heard many people with your same sentiments about John Carter as a Judge but it usually stops there. They say he’s been nothing like he was as a judged or like they thought he would be as a Congressman. They knew he was a conservative and a Republican but always thought he was fair. Say he’s been nothing like that since going to Congress. Sold out to the right wing/DeLay wing of the party. Many say they never would have voted for him if they knew he’d turn out like he has.
And I agree we need to get some Democrats elected in Williamson County so we can have accountability and less corruption.