Comments on: How Kosher is Obama’s ‘Ban’ on Pork?

By: jock59801

jock59801 — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:46:44 +0000

Earmarks are a Congressional procedure. The President has no say in the matter. He can only veto or not veto the entire bill. He can try to take a stand and veto everything with earmarks, but then he runs the risk of being blamed for shutting down the whole system.
What exactly do people expect the President to DO to “ban earmarks?”

By: Open-Mind

Open-Mind — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:34:50 +0000

There appears to be a fine line between “banning” and “advocating”. Lawyer presidents are great at mincing words. Do we all remember the meaning of the word “is”?

By: Ryan C

Ryan C — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:43:21 +0000

“Ummm… is that really the same as banning?”
Sure. Its a political banning.
Are you eagerly awaiting for Ashley Todd to be released for the mental institution?

By: Ryan C

Ryan C — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:26:37 +0000

“Question — Where is Obama’s constitutional authority to ban pork? Isn’t writing bills — in which pork is inserted — the constitutional purview of the legislative branch? So how is Obama going to ban it?”
Ummm veto power.
Are all the right wing Constitutional “scholars” working round the clock on proving Obama is not a citizen?

By: beth

beth — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:15:26 +0000

Question — Where is Obama’s constitutional authority to ban pork? Isn’t writing bills — in which pork is inserted — the constitutional purview of the legislative branch? So how is Obama going to ban it?
Tskk, and him a constitutional authority (per himself) and all. And what about the reporters on this matter?

By: Ron

Ron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:11:35 +0000

Earmarks are the way most things get funded and done by government (federal and state) at a local level. Something that may seem like a worthless project by one group may be viewed as critical to the economic success of a region by another group. Earmarks become absolutely critical to getting something done especially in more rural areas that don’t get the publicity or have a large vocal population to pressure politicians. Even if this federal money is given to states as block grants, the states will distribute it through their own earmarks. It is frequently the most efficient way to get a project done and in reality, congressional earmarks are made only after a Congressman is convinced that a project is worthwhile and will benefit a significant number of people or a region.

By: ellsbells930

ellsbells930 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:35:54 +0000

The only way Obama (or any other President) can get rid of earmarks, is for Congress to give the President the right to a line-item veto…. since that is never going to happen, he won’t be able to do it.

By: MadeInUSA

MadeInUSA — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:42:52 +0000

It depends on what the meaning of “is” is.

By: Lydia

Lydia — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:14:58 +0000

I would think ‘reviewing’ earmarks means review by the Senate not by the benefiting state’s own political system. To say the the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ was reviewed because numerous Alaska state agencies looked at it it downright silly.
To spend $398 million on a bridge to a small airport when so many existing highly used bridges around the country need serious repair or replacement is a good example of pork.
I’m glad that Obama is letting us know that this kind of wasteful spending will not be in the stimulus package.

By: Anita Hales

Anita Hales — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:59:51 +0000

A thoughtful article with a couple of facts wrong. The bridge to Gravina is proposed from Ketchikan to Gravina island, the mainland does not figure into the bridge. Ketchikan is a city of about 14,000 people who are separated from their airport because it’s on a separate island. Ketchikan is on Revillagigedo Island. Thousands of people land and take off from Ketchikan International Airport each year. The idea that the bridge would service 50 people on Gravina island is not only misleading but wrong.
If this project went under some congressional radar to be somehow clandestinely stuck in the transportation bill, then congress is asleep. Few projects have been vetted as much and as long as this one.