Jim DeMint (R) South Carolina. Oh, the irony.

[techs]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/us/politics/13port.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=demint&st=cse

Stand Against Earmarks Grows Lonely as Home State Sees a Need

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — Mike Murphree is as sympathetic as anyone to Senator Jim DeMint and his crusade against earmarks, those pet projects financed by Congress, usually out of the public eye. Mr. Murphree is chairman of the Charleston Tea Party and sees earmarks as a root cause of overspending and political corruption.

But even Mr. Murphree, 48, a general contractor, has split with Mr. DeMint on one particular earmark that many here see as vital to the region. It would advance plans to deepen the Port of Charleston, just outside the city limits, to accommodate the mega cargo ships that will be calling once the Panama Canal is expanded in 2014.

Mr. Murphree said that the local Tea Party was divided over the earmark and that he had come down reluctantly for it. “If we had more time and didn’t have to go through all this federal rigmarole, we’d hunker down and stop the earmarks,” he said in an interview. “But we don’t have that luxury.”

Securing the money — $400,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a feasibility study — has widespread support throughout the state. Nikki Haley, the Republican nominee for governor, said last month that she would “do what it takes to get the money.”

Senator DeMint, a conservative Republican who is expected to win re-election easily in November, says he supports deepening the harbor, too. But he is a purist against earmarks and has not actively sought this one. He is focused instead on trying to change the system, including the one that essentially forces states to go through the federal earmark process for financing for ports.



Wow. Even some of the Tea Party support this earmark.
Seriously, there are still some realistic Republicans who love this country and will probably see to it the project happens.
However, the irony, the irony.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Senator DeMented, the Dogmatic, is celebrated in this state despite his inability to achieve anything concrete for his "Conservative" followers.
Senator Graham, the Pragmatist, who (among other things) helped break Democratic opposition to ensure the confirmation of President Bush's judicial nominees, is widely reviled by these same "Conservatives".

Go figure.

 

[Carmen813]

Never understood the hatred against earmarks, it's one of the things Congress is supposed to do.

I just wish they were less idiotic about it.

 

[Jhhnn]

So, uhh, how else would S Carolina raise the money to deepen the harbor?

Raise Taxes? The Horror!

What DeMint and his fellow travelers profess to want is just a blend of pablum and wishful thinking created to keep them in office, tailored to fit the defective thought processes already created in their constituencies.

Gotta build on what you have, right?

 

[manimal]

Once again we have reality getting in the way of ideology.....

 

[theeedude]

Once again we have reality getting in the way of ideology.....

persistent problem for the conservative movement

 

[RbSX]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/us/politics/13port.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=demint&st=cse

Stand Against Earmarks Grows Lonely as Home State Sees a Need

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — Mike Murphree is as sympathetic as anyone to Senator Jim DeMint and his crusade against earmarks, those pet projects financed by Congress, usually out of the public eye. Mr. Murphree is chairman of the Charleston Tea Party and sees earmarks as a root cause of overspending and political corruption.

But even Mr. Murphree, 48, a general contractor, has split with Mr. DeMint on one particular earmark that many here see as vital to the region. It would advance plans to deepen the Port of Charleston, just outside the city limits, to accommodate the mega cargo ships that will be calling once the Panama Canal is expanded in 2014.

Mr. Murphree said that the local Tea Party was divided over the earmark and that he had come down reluctantly for it. “If we had more time and didn’t have to go through all this federal rigmarole, we’d hunker down and stop the earmarks,” he said in an interview. “But we don’t have that luxury.”

Securing the money — $400,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a feasibility study — has widespread support throughout the state. Nikki Haley, the Republican nominee for governor, said last month that she would “do what it takes to get the money.”

Senator DeMint, a conservative Republican who is expected to win re-election easily in November, says he supports deepening the harbor, too. But he is a purist against earmarks and has not actively sought this one. He is focused instead on trying to change the system, including the one that essentially forces states to go through the federal earmark process for financing for ports.



Wow. Even some of the Tea Party support this earmark.
Seriously, there are still some realistic Republicans who love this country and will probably see to it the project happens.
However, the irony, the irony.

I have no idea what loving the country has to do with the fact that this project makes sense.

Why does everything in American politics some how get tied into loving or hating the USA, or patriotism.

 

[Lemon law]

The real question is why does not the port of Charleston pay for it out of their own pocket.? Or maybe kick it up to their State but then other cities will argue that why should their taxes go to benefit some other area of the State. But if we kick it up one more smoke and mirrors level, its free money if Uncle Sam gives it away.

But does our Uncle Sammy give away money fairly? Or do certain Senators from politically powerful States get more than their fair share? And moreover should certain congressmen and Senators be able to keep earmarks secret, place holds on them for blackmail, or trade them in you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours fascion.

And we can also note much of the increase in earmark type projects got its start in the IMHO stinking thinking of Nixon's revenue sharing.

I am not saying Federal funding of State projects is unwise, but the whole ear mark process needs major reform. And if Sen. Demint can't form his own sick brain, how can he reform anything else?

 

[Jhhnn]

I suspect that much of the problem for red state America is that economic and technological progress brings changes to people's attitudes, and therefore social change.

Both sides of the political divide recognize that as true. Progressives, in general, have been entirely willing to subsidize the economies of red states in hopes of that happening, also in the interests of national unity, while Righties want the money and the development, just not everything that goes along with it. It's not good for the political careers of dinosaurs like DeMint. He'll survive so long as S Carolina voters are kept in the economic positional equivalent of "barefoot and pregnant"...

 

[techs]

I suspect that much of the problem for red state America is that economic and technological progress brings changes to people's attitudes, and therefore social change.

Both sides of the political divide recognize that as true. Progressives, in general, have been entirely willing to subsidize the economies of red states in hopes of that happening, also in the interests of national unity, while Righties want the money and the development, just not everything that goes along with it. It's not good for the political careers of dinosaurs like DeMint. He'll survive so long as S Carolina voters are kept in the economic positional equivalent of "barefoot and pregnant"...

I couldn't agree more.