CONGRESS Sucks! (Hypocrites)

[Palehorse]

So all we hear is cut, cut, cut. . . We're overspending, NO MORE pork. . . Yeah. . . right. . . The first thing on the list are our social safety nets; the very things that will slit the throats of the least amongst us. But our congress points out they have no more pork in their legislation. . .

They all put on a good show, and attempt to point the finger at each other. . . Then they enact legislation that on the surface, seems to put a collar on "pork". . . Or have they????

You can dress a pig anyway you like, but it's still a pig! 

Just the fact they are "using the back door" pisses me off! 

Read this:

Washington (CNN) -- The defense bill that just passed the House of Representatives includes a back-door fund that lets individual members of Congress funnel millions of dollars into projects of their choosing.
This can be done despite a congressional ban on these so-called "earmarks" -- special, discretionary spending that has funded Congress' pet projects back home for years, but now has fallen out of favor because of budget-conscious deficit hawks.
Under the cloak of a simple line item named the "Mission Force Enhancement Transfer Fund," Congress has been squirreling away money that previously had not made it into appropriations bills -- like $9 million for "future undersea capabilities development," $19 million for "Navy ship preliminary design and feasibility studies," and more than $30 million for a "corrosion prevention program."
So in a year dominated by demands for spending cuts, where did all the money come from?

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/05/28/mysterious.fund/index.html?hpt=T1

Roughly $1 billion was quietly transferred from projects listed in the president's defense budget and placed into the "transfer fund." This fund, which wasn't in previous year's defense budgets (when earmarks were permitted), served as a piggy bank from which committee members were able to draw money to cover the cost of programs introduced by their amendments.
And spend they did.
More than $600 million went to a wide number of projects, many of which appear to directly benefit some congressional districts over others.
For example, that $9 million for "future undersea capabilities development" was requested by Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, whose district happens to be home to General Dynamics Electric Boat, a major supplier of submarines and other technologies to the U.S. Navy.
And the $19 million for "Navy ship preliminary design and feasibility studies"? Rep. Steve Palazzo, R-Mississippi, asked for that. His district's largest employer is Ingalls Shipbuilding -- a major producer of surface combat ships for the Navy.
Nothing in these expenditures appears to be illegal, but critics say the fund raises questions about crossing a line.
"These amendments may very likely duck the House's specific definition of what constitutes an earmark, but that doesn't mean they aren't pork," says Leslie Paige of Citizens Against Government Waste, a government-spending watchdog group. The group believes if modification of the National Defense Authorization Act generated savings, that money should have been put toward paying down the deficit.
In their defense, supporters say the amendments offered by various members may very well represent good governance. The $30 million Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Ohio, set aside for corrosion prevention could go far to help tackle the Defense Department's corrosion problem, estimated to cost the military more than $15 billion a year.
However, there are two things worth considering: Sutton's request comes on top of the $10 million already included in the bill for corrosion related programs, and Sutton's district is home to The University of Akron, which created the country's first bachelor's degree program for corrosive engineering in 2008.
Then, on May 9, two days before the defense bill mark-up, it was announced that the Defense Department had given the University of Akron $11 million to build its new "National Center for Education and Research in Corrosion and Materials Performance."
Sutton was the biggest supporter of that new spending.

[The Troll]

This is in indefensible, but our resident Republicans will think is just fine.  More tax cut of the rich.     No tax cut for our defense.   

[Anne]

Biggest supporter of spending was Democrat Sutton. Did anyone believe they would really cut out the pork? Not even a line item veto is going to help.

[Palehorse]

Biggest supporter of spending was Democrat Sutton. Did anyone believe they would really cut out the pork? Not even a line item veto is going to help.

Yeah, as if Sutton didn't have any friends in this. . . 

"In for a penny, in for a pound"! Every single member of congress is guilty!!!!!!!!! Trying to assign blame toward any one of them is nothing more than an attempt to "validate" or explain this away.

[Anne]

Just pointing out to some people that it is not just republicans doing this. You are right, probably every member of Congress is guilty.

[Henry Hawk]

It needs to be posted on EVERY BILL, clearly, just exactly what each congressman is getting out of it.

we have got to dummy down every bill and quit sneaking tens of others in one bill....

THAT is another thing that the Tea Party movement is pushing for....it is time to clean up Washington...and until we have MORE "tea party" types of protests and movements, it will never happen.

The people need to speak up...

[Palehorse]

It needs to be posted on EVERY BILL, clearly, just exactly what each congressman is getting out of it.

we have got to dummy down every bill and quit sneaking tens of others in one bill....

THAT is another thing that the Tea Party movement is pushing for....it is time to clean up Washington...and until we have MORE "tea party" types of protests and movements, it will never happen.

The people need to speak up...

IT ISN'T BEING "TACKED ONTO BILLS"! This is what amounts to a "slush fund" that circumvents public view/input and the system as it is SUPPOSED to work! Hell, if it hadn't had a light shined upon it by the media my guess is we'd have never found out about it until some congressperson got their back up over being denied funding through it!

[The Troll]

  What I want to know is what is the Republican Charlie Foxtrot (cluster f$ck) taking a vote of the budget.  After telling the Stock Market boys, now don't worry, we're going to vote against it.  But just before the country goes in to default we're going to vote to extend the National Debt.

  I don't know about the rest of you folks, but I am sick to death of the dumbass Republican childish games.  Talk about a bunch of stupid fools.  How can anyone in their right mind think the Republican Party is good for this country.   

[Palehorse]

[Henry Hawk]

Congressman Anthony Weiner.......where is the outrage?  this pervert and liar says he will NOT resign...  

[Anne]

I guess because he is a democrat it is ok?

[me]

If he were a Republican these guy's would be calling for his head on a platter.

[Exterminator]

Really?  Please link to the myriad of posts here about Christopher Lee to that effect?

[Henry Hawk]

Really?  Please link to the myriad of posts here about Christopher Lee to that effect?

why don't YOU link us to those posts, because I don't remember posting ANYTHING...zilch.

The bottom line is, the media has tried very much to shoot the messager, rather than the guilty pervert in this case.  This slime ball says he refuses to step down...and he will continue to be a congressmen.

Congress SUCKS!

[Exterminator]

why don't YOU link us to those posts, because I don't remember posting ANYTHING...zilch.

Exactly my point.  The three of you are accusing dems of doing exactly what you, yourselves are doing.

The bottom line is, the media has tried very much to shoot the messager, rather than the guilty pervert in this case.  This slime ball says he refuses to step down...and he will continue to be a congressmen.

I just googled "Weiner" and we must not be reading the same articles (or, as is more likely, this is yet another instance wherein reading comprehension comes into play).  Even Letterman was making fun of him last night!