Is the Tea Party out to banish Bush-style conservatism?

[struggle4progress]

By E.J. Dionne Jr.
Thursday, November 18, 2010

... It was entertaining to watch Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reluctantly capitulate to the Tea Party by supporting a two-year ban on requests for earmarks from his chamber's Republicans.

McConnell knows perfectly well that ending earmarks will transfer more authority over spending to the executive branch while saving little, if any, money. Earmarks are nothing more than a legislative gimmick empowering individual senators and representatives to direct pieces of federal largess toward their favorite projects.

The Tea Party talks a lot about "constitutionalism," yet this move flies in the face of the Constitution's clear preference for congressional control over spending. It's odd to see so much energy devoted to securing a decision that gives more power to President Obama, the politician who inspires so much loathing in the Tea Party ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/17/AR2010111705313.html

[notesdev]

1. Bizarre

reading this felt like reading an article on Hitler's softer side.

[OHdem10]

2. It is symbolic of the bigger spending problem. It has a corrupt

smell. You are selling your legislative votes.

[tomm2thumbs]

3. ten year tax cuts for the rich, yet only a 2 year earmark ban

they are nibbling around the edges, nothing more

[DumpDavisHogg]

4. The Tea Party IS Bush-style conservatism

The teagaggers are the same losers who used to beat up antiwar activists 5 years ago.