Lindsey Graham Has Meltdown Over Earmark Cut In Budget Deal

Lindsey Graham Has Meltdown Over Earmark Cut In Budget Deal

Lindsey Graham has styled himself as the Senate's great dealmaker -- the guy who will shepherd your measure through the partisan thicket and make sure it passes. All you have to do is do everything precisely the way Graham imagines it needs to be done, and you'll be fine. But the moment you hit one of his cryptic procedural tripwires -- ones you often didn’t know were laid in the first place -- Graham goes into full-on snit-fit mode, and vows to use whatever means at his disposal to shut the whole process down.

He's doing it again over the budget deal that was wrought April 8, because it cut an allocation that was to be used to fund an Army Corps of Engineers project that would have deepened the Port of Charleston.

That's right. Graham was seemingly happy to participate in the wide-ranging debate on the need to drastically reduce spending, until the scalpel fell on something he wanted. And now, he's going to hold up future nominations until he gets his way.

By the way, as Crabtree's colleague Benjy Sarlin points out: now Lindsey Graham wants to argue that government spending creates jobs?

In assailing everyone for cutting his port money -- the lone example of worthy government spending and the government's last best hope, apparently, at creating a single private sector job -- Graham has gotten it into his head that he has the full support of his South Carolina Senate colleague Jim Demint (R). Graham told reporters that "Jim's been helpful," and that "DeMint 'absolutely' supported the project to deepen the port."

None of that is remotely true. DeMint opposes the project, because it is an earmark and Jim DeMint hates earmarks, up to and including this one, which he personally killed.

Of course, I haven't yet told you the best part. The amount of the funding allocation that has Graham so incensed that he's threatening to shut down the already stalled nominations process is $50,000. That's five digits. Graham's net worth is estimated to be between $446,316 and $1,223,308 and he does a brisk trade with campaign donors of all stripes. He's also BFF with a guy who owns eight homes, so it seems to me that he could easily scare up the 50 grand on his own if it matters that much to him.

It's just that what matters more is that people do what he wants.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/1 ... 49326.html


Dang... I just HATE it when that happens....

Him and McLaim can go Dem and I'd be thrilled.

Again. Another predictable answer from the right. This has to be a scripted answer for everytime the right gets called out for being the frauds they are.

Again. Another predictable answer from the right. This has to be a scripted answer for everytime the right gets called out for being the frauds they are.

Well- here's one conservative who thinks the damn 50 grand should be cut.

How bout that?

Oh - what happened to cutting PBS? Why are we supporting communists and helping them get their message out with our tax money?

I'm ready for that predictable answer from the left......

And an equally predictable partisan bitch-post from the left in response to the response.

Same S#$% Different Day.

The Dude wrote: Again. Another predictable answer from the right. This has to be a scripted answer for everytime the right gets called out for being the frauds they are.

What answer would YOU like me to give? Would you like me to defend those Republicans that I can't stand, those who continually act like liberals who I believe are brain dead? Or would you prefer I defend them just because they have an R by their name? I won't do what you liberals do with Obama when he lies or breaks promises, I won't be silent . I'm almost as sick of weak Republicans as I am dingbat liberal Democrats.

The Dude wrote: Again. Another predictable answer from the right. This has to be a scripted answer for everytime the right gets called out for being the frauds they are.

When people talk about Republicrats, they are imaging Lindsey Graham. He is more a politician than a Republican or Democrat, more about bringing the pork home than a man who actually has his own beliefs. Some people form their ideas and run for office, others decide which party they join will be more likely to win the next election.

And Dude, can't win with you guys, if we defend a (R), you guys say typical, and if we join the Left in tarring and feathering the man, you say we are wrong again. Part of the mission of the TEA Party is going after the old guard Republican fat cats who instead of serving the country are more intersted in peddling pork and helping out their big donors.

D,
Don't you have some Dems who you think have lost their way and need to be primaried out in 2012? How about Diana DeGette who has been a waste of space? Pat Schroeder must be upset to see her seat taken by a wimp.

SS109 wrote:

The Dude wrote: Again. Another predictable answer from the right. This has to be a scripted answer for everytime the right gets called out for being the frauds they are.

When people talk about Republicrats, they are imaging Lindsey Graham. He is more a politician than a Republican or Democrat, more about bringing the pork home than a man who actually has his own beliefs. Some people form their ideas and run for office, others decide which party they join will be more likely to win the next election.

And Dude, can't win with you guys, if we defend a (R), you guys say typical, and if we join the Left in tarring and feathering the man, you say we are wrong again. Part of the mission of the TEA Party is going after the old guard Republican fat cats who instead of serving the country are more intersted in peddling pork and helping out their big donors.

D,
Don't you have some Dems who you think have lost their way and need to be primaried out in 2012? How about Diana DeGette who has been a waste of space? Pat Schroeder must be upset to see her seat taken by a wimp.

Well said :thumbsup: