Joe Sonka December 11th, 2007

(crossposted at BlueGrassRoots)

Mitch McPorky, the villain of the Club for Growth and fiscally responsible conservatives, is out to load up the pork in his proposal to reach a budget deal that funds the Iraq war and earmarks for his sugar daddies filling the GOP warchest.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel issued the following press release/smackdown of Sen. McPorky McFilibuster(I think he's been reading Ditch Mitch, but he forgot to add, "Calling Senator Forgy!")

"First Mitch McConnell sides with the White House and insists on a blank check for Iraq.  Now he's fighting for earmarks over funding for cancer cures, the veterans' health care crisis, and 50,000 new American teachers.  Under Senator McConnell's budget proposal, Iraq and his own re-election campaign would come first, while America's health care and education needs would come last.  When the American people called for change in 2006, it was not to maintain the status quo in Iraq and the status quo in Washington."

Thumpin'! 

UPDATE:

I totally missed this yesterday, but uber-conservative Bob "Prince of Darkness" Novak also slammed Mitch for his Pork Play.

That fork offers choices not only for current government spending but also for the Republican future. One way pressed by conservative reformers would either block an omnibus bill or stop it by sustaining a presidential veto, insisting on a continuing resolution that would save taxpayers $30 billion a year. The other course makes a deal with an omnibus bill $8 billion to $11 billion over Bush's guidelines, virtually forcing him to sign it by inserting troop money, further depressing the demoralized Republican voter base. That was the course McConnell clearly indicated last week.

Launching his 2008 campaign in Kentucky — he has warned this may be his most difficult reelection — McConnell in an ad stressed his performance as an appropriator delivering earmarks (highlighted by $280 million for his state's universities). His office regularly issues statements bragging about how much bacon he brings home to Kentucky in appropriations bills. But to actually put bacon on the table, McConnell needs something like the Democratic-drafted omnibus bill that contains 11,932 earmarks. A continuing resolution would add no new earmarks.

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These seasoned purveyors of pork outgun and outnumber GOP reformers such as Sen. Jim DeMint, a first-termer from South Carolina who told me: "A CR is the only way to keep spending at any sensible level. An omnibus bill would be a defeat for the Republicans. I don't see any reason to cave in on our principles. The Republicans have no discipline when it comes to appropriations." DeMint was careful not to mention McConnell and the other Republican appropriators by name, but there was no doubt whom he was talking about.

"The Republicans have no discipline when it comes to appropriations"

I like that quote, Sen. DeMint. Just go ahead and include Mitch's name next time, because we know who you were talking about.

CALLING SENATOR FORGY!!!!

• 2008 KY U.S. Senate Race , Iraq War , Mitch McConnell , Pork Spending
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