A question about "pork" and the Iraq resolution...

[youthere]

The repukes keep talking about how the Iraq bill is loaded with pork spending (as if they were opposed to pork spending-riiiight) but can anyone tell me why all the extra spending is in there? I'm not talking about the money for Walter Reed, or for head injuries or veteran's families...I''m talking about the peanut storage/sugar beet kind of pork. I've heard some say it was "leftover" spending from the previous Congress, but I still don't understand why it's in this proposal...can anyone educate me on this or point me to some references? Much appreciated.

[MADem]

1. To persuade the people who did not want to vote for the measures to vote for it.

There are lots of bums who will trade their vote for a "what's in it for ME" element.

Hey, all politics is local.

You tell a legislator to vote to end the war who has, say, the BODY ARMOR factory in his district, that pumps millions into the economy and employs twenty percent of his constituency. He ain't gonna vote to end the war unless a new business gets sited in his district that will ease the hard landing, or even grow the economy. Anything else is suicide.

[bryant69]

3. There it is.

Certainly the Republicanoid Congresscritters don't have any problem with Pork, they just don't like Democrats getting any. But there was plenty of pork floating out to their districts in the bad old days.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[MADem]

4. It's so obvious, too. It's why I get annoyed at some of these folks who fail to understand the

basics, like that bunch that beat up on Dave Obey, while he was trying to horsetrade with his magic wand for votes!

[Monkeyman]

2. 3.5 Billion for Veterans Health Care

You can find that and what its being spent on at http://www.vawatchdog.org its about half way down Larry's site

[Sammy Pepys]

5. To garner favor for voting for the deadline, mostly...

This is how Washington does it, unfortunately.

While I like the deadline, I find no reason to be happy about or defend all this extra spending. I'm saddened that it didn't take very long for the new majority to forget their spending promises....

[Monkeyman]

6. Send a email to a staffer here is what they call pork

$4.3 billion to ensure health care for returning troops
$2 billion in port, mass transit and airport security
$6.7 billion to rebuild the Gulf Coast and put people back to work