Gay Conservative

Another week and another call.  Sorry folks.  Right now, I’m dedicated to keep the GOP honest and in line.

The Senate is prepared to consider the latest piece of spending garbage.

Senate Democrats are expected to win over just enough Republicans to move forward on a controversial $410 billion spending bill by the end of the night Tuesday. 

But it may come as no surprise that almost all of the Republican senators who are expected to support the bill or are considering supporting it have billions of dollars worth of earmarks in the package. 

The earmark-mania is not unique to either party — both Democrats and Republicans contributed to what Taxpayers for Common Sense estimates is 8,570 disclosed earmarks worth $7.7 billion in the bill that would fund the government through the end of the fiscal year. 

So, once again – we have GOP turncoats prepared to endorse this wasteful piece of legislation littered with nearly 9000 earmarks.  But don’t get ahead of me.  It’s not exactly the same three who supported the sham-of-a-stimulus bill that recently passed.  Yes, there is Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine.  There’s really nothing that can be done about her.  She is not philosophically a Republican and could care less about either the reprecussions of her votes or the concerns coming from the GOP grassroots.  I will point out, however, that Snowe has no earmarks.  Strange. The other two Senators, however, are suprising.  Quite frankly – I am extremely disappointed and somewhat disillusioned.

Senators Richard Shelby (Alabama) and Thad Cochran (Mississippi) are the latest Senate GOP members to break ranks and show their lack of fiscal discipline.  Both men are individuals that I previously held in high-regard.  So I’m not sure what to think here.  Shelby, in defense of his 64 earmarks, says that “any earmark you have, it ought to have merit, or we shouldn’t do it.”  OH REALLY, Senator Shelby?

Shelby’s earmarks span the gamut, from $800,000 for oyster rehabilitation at the University of South Alabama, to $380,000 to the city of Tarrant, Ala., for streetscaping and walkways. 

Yeah.  Ok. Cochran has 65 earmarks in the bill and apparently has decided to forgo common sense as well.  Then there are three other GOP Senators who, by virtue of their earmarks, are possible supporters of this bill.

Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., for instance, has $86 million in earmarks; Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has $74 million; and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., has $25 million.

There is little sense in taking on Specter again.  He went live on Hannity’s radio show before the vote on the “stimulus” bill and told Sean that supporting that bill was “better than doing nothing.”  Hannity and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum stuck out their necks as conservatives and supported Specter in his last GOP primary against ex-Rep. Pat Toomey.  Now as rumors swirl that Toomey will seek a rematch in the upcoming primary – things are different.  Hannity said today that he would endorse Toomey.  And Santorum refused to say he would not endorse Toomey.

And just to be fair, let me also call out sixteen House Republicans who joined hands with Nancy Pelosi in support of their version of the Omnibus bill.  They are as follows:

• Mary Bono-Mack (CA)
• Ginny Brown-Waite (FL)
• Ahn Cao (LA)
• Shelly Moore Capito (WV)
• Michael Castle (DE)
• Charles Dent (PA)
• JoAnn Emerson (MO)
• Jim Gerlach (IA)
• Frank LoBiondo (NJ)
• John McHugh (NY)
• Candice Miller (MI)
• Tim Murphy (PA)
• David Reichert (WA)
• Fred Upton (MI)
• Ed Whitfield (KY)
• Don Young (AK)

If anyone cares to contact these 20 principled House Republicans to “thank” them for their undying support of Nancy Pelosi’s agenda, you could send them an email.  Unfortunately, the house.gov website does not give you direct email links to House members.  You can write your own congressional representative if you enter your own zipcode.  Quaint.  Also be sure to contact Sens. Shelby and Cochran to let them know how you feel about their evident support of Harry’s version of the bill and the ridiculous earmarks.

Just a side note – 20 Dems opposed the HR1105 Omnibus Bill including, once again, Rep. Gene Taylor (MS).  Pelosi must have some disturbing pictures of Mr. Taylor.  He is more of a Republican that half of the House GOP.

UPDATE:  The vote passed the Senate 62-35.  The roll call hasn’t been posted yet.  I will post the name of the GOP traitors as soon as I have them.