From the Mailbag...the Pork Edition
I just received this via email...
Ok....
My congressman Dana Rohrabacher, a former Reagan administration speech writer, has always bewildered me with his voting record. In some instances, he stands firm against spending measures, yet other times he compromises conservative values like when he casted the deciding vote in favor of the disastrous Medicare bill. Likewise, his iffy support for Jeff Flake's efforts (he has only supported 10 of the 19 amendments), has had me scratching my head.
I asked Rohrabacher today what justification he had for rejecting Flake's amendment to strip $500,000 for the infamous Banning, California pool in Jerry Lewis' district. I expected the typical cookie-cutter answer that funding specifics should be dealt with in committee. And I knew the politically-motivated reasons behind his vote: pork is bad unless it's for your state, and anyone who goes against a man as powerful and influential as Lewis is all but a lame duck.
Basically, he began by explaining how Jerry Lewis has been bombarded with criticism from all sides (including an FBI investigation.) Flake, according to Rohrabacher, was then using this recent controvery to grandstand Lewis with "callous disregard" for the circumstances surrounding him. In other words, Rohrabacher supported the earmark out of pity and sympathy for poor Jerry. Ok, so let's give ole' Jerry a break because he's about to suffer the consequences for years of corruption and gross abuses of power! Just when you think you've heard all the BS in this town...
Michael Krekel
