The official blog of the Libertarian Party
February 01, 2007
Not a Dime's Worth of Difference
The Democrats had their chance to prove to the American public they had changed since they last had control of Congress. In case you've missed it, here's what they've been up to lately.
A Houston Chronicle article had the headline: "House approves huge spending bill." Here's the overview:
A must-pass bill covering about one-sixth of the federal budget swept through the House on Wednesday. A sizable chunk of Republicans joined virtually all Democrats in approving spending increases for education, veterans and the AIDS battle in Africa.
The 286-140 vote - with 57 Republicans voting in favor - was a please surprise for Democrats who expected far less GOP support. The bill had much to please the rank and file, including Republican moderates, even though it contained no pet projects for their districts.
"The content is a heck of a lot better than most expected we'd come up with," said the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. David Obey, D-Wis. He worked with his Senate counterpart, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., to add money for initiatives popular with both Democrats and Republicans.
To add fuel to the fire, they continue to provide money to Senator Ted "Bridge to Nowhere" Stevens:
The overall total would have been even higher had there not been such hurt feelings over how Democrats powered the bill through the House: just an hour of debate time, no amendments allowed.
Republicans also said the measure was not entirely free of parochial "earmarks," saying powerful senators such as Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Pete Domenici, R-N.M., received special treatment for home-state projects.
The Hill is reporting that the conduit of cash between K Street and the Capitol continues:
Many Democratic freshmen raised tens of thousands of special-interest dollars toward their reelection even before they were sworn in for the 110th Congress.
The numbers show that although they said during their campaigns that they would reform the "culture of corruption" in Washington, many quickly immersed themselves in the town's lobbyist-dominated fundraising network to fill up their coffers and retire their debt.
While some House freshmen have done little fundraising, more than half of those who had revealed their fundraising activities by yesterday reported raising between $35,000 and $83,000 between Election Day and the swearing-in of the new Congress, usually a very quiet time on the fundraising circuit. Most of the money came from political action committees (PACs) representing corporate and labor interests.
Perhaps enough voters will realize by 2008 that both major parties are more concerned with special interests than with American interests.
Posted by Stephen Gordon at February 1, 2007 10:35 AM
Reader Comments:
I say enough talk, more action.
Didn't the Dems learn anything from the Republican Revolution of 1994? This party of liberals is just as out of touch with the American people as they were back in the Contract with America days. BTW, that contract was breached by the GOP. With both parties in disarray, this is great news for the Libertarians or whoever fills the gap. There haven't been 2 parties so far out of touch with the American public since the days when Parliament, not Congress, was the legislature.
You'd think the Democrats wouldn't have funded the Bridge to Nowhere. That did as much as anything to help the Republicans lose the election last year.
Are there any rich people willing to help finance a Libertarian campaign for president? That could help especially when America's going into the toilet fast. When are the majority of Americans going to wake up and notice that both parties have broken promise after promise and are more concerned with wasteful spending than anything that the people care about. When the people wake up and there is enough money to get the Libertarians some TV ads (I think a single Super Bowl ad sounds good enough, after all the Statists have made it illegal to refuse to air a political ad if the party will pay, no matter the time or place). If the LP can find enough money in the next year, maybe an ad during Super Bowl XLII will be affordable. That could singlehandedly win a presidential election since it would reach the majority of America and it would be the most cost-effective way to advertise on TV. Nobody's ever thought about using the Super Bowl to advertise a presidential campaign before, but it'd be illegal for the network to refuse. I guess big government can occasionally work to its own detriment.
The same overspend over budget 'business as usual' mentality just as expected. In Michigan, Governor Granholm formed a commission that will suggest major tax increases, as she complains that the state "can't cut any more" while campaigning loud and hard last year on how she supposedly cut state spending from the Engler regime-$39 some billion in 2003. As of last year, the state budget is at some $42 billion-a $3+ billion INCREASE.
Says a lot about the Dems' 'responsible spending' rethoric.
I can answer why Americans have not turned to another party yet. The majority of Americans view third parties as pathetic, eccemtric, and filled with a bunch of crazys. Considering some of the planks we used to have in our platform I can't blame them. I think the problem with Americans is that they want big government programs but at the same time they want liberty and no corruption, which all of us here know is impossible.
Otter, I'm from Michigan too and it makes me pull my hair out.
I am going to run for Warren City Council this fall as a Libertarian. I wonder, are there any pre-made flyers that present a REASONABLE picture of Libertarians that I could pass out door-to-door now? Or should I create my own?
I won't be able to make the monthly party meeting this month (it's on Valentine's Day). Perhaps I can bring it up in March. I probably won't distribute flyers until it warms up anyway.
Keep writing letters to the editors of our local papers. I get about 1 in 3 published in the Macomb Daily. I suspect there are lots of people out there that would be Libertarians if they only knew we existed.
Oh, and Brad, that's a great idea.
Yo Coach, don't waste your time in MIchigan anymore. It's over brother. Make more use of yourself and actually achieve liberty in your lifetime by following me and many others to the Free State. Libertarians can't even poll 1% for governor in Mich. And now Granho is gonna raise taxes? It's time to start voting with your feet. I'll be outta MIch before the year is over. All the best activists are involved with the Free State Project and are gonna be dwindling in most states in the near future (some already left). NH is making good strides and will continue to go in a libertarian direction. If you don't like state income or sales taxes, join me in NH. If not, peace out!
No thanks, Michigan NEEDS me. It's just a bigger challenge.
Coach Jim I have a rather clever flier along with a clever distribution gimmick that I'd gladly retool for your purposes if you'd like to use it. Just leave some means of contacting you. And make sure it's something you wouldn't mind getting spammed a bit. I'm sure this blog gets robo-trolled just like many other online forums.
sure, hit me up at:
jim (at) hyper2 (dot) com
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Regarding the war, I would like to point out that a DEMOCRAT introduced in the House of Representatives a bill that I thought only a Libertarian would ever have the guts to promote: H413, sponsored by my own Rep., Sam Farr of CA. This bill repeals the 2002 Authorization for use of force in Iraq, and directs the President to bring the troops home as quickly as possible. The bill is short and blunt, no wiggle-room or weasel wording, and no partisan puffery. It currently has seven co-sponsors -- all Democrats. I was dumbfounded not to see at least Ron Paul's name as a co-sponsor. What's up with that?
While the media entertains us with the circus about the Senate's "nonbinding resolution" on escalation of the war, I hear and read not a word on the only measure I know of on Congress' docket right now, which IS binding, and which strikes at the root of the problem.
If the authorization of the use of force is rescinded, the lame-duck President won't have a leg to stand on, in terms of violating people's rights within this country. The President will need to negotiate with Congress for authorization to keep doing anything outside this country at all, especially since H413 tells him to bring the troops home.
So why haven't we heard more about this bill, and why isn't the LP supporting it, or at least discussing it?
James Anderson Merritt,
you are very correct.
There is a great opportunity to outflank the Democrats on this issue.
just for fun, I found this while doing my search
Senator Hillary Clinton Booed at Liberal Conference
(for being a warmonger)
http://usliberals.about.com/b/a/257674.htm
Any questions?
James Anderson Merritt,
Do you have a link for that bill? I'd like to read it. I don't know where to look, and Google is no help (too many bills named H413).
I would love to see the public outrage if Bush were to veto a Use of Force renunciation bill.
lib2007- since when are universal health care and "living wage" issues libertarians are happy about? By the way the Democrat's majority in the Senate is very slim (1 vote) and the majority in the house is definitely not overwhelming.
Although it would be nice to see Bush veto ANYTHING the reason why there has been little mentioned about H413 is that it has little chance of passing. Realistically the only reason it was introduced was to keep the anti-war crowd happy and in the Democratic party.
Most Democrats will vote against it if it comes up for a vote because they like to posture against the war but don't want to be seen as not supporting the troops.
This bill was just an attempt to keep you ant-war people in the Democrats' pockets. Though it won't work for the ones here it will keep most of the anti-war left appeased enough.
Just a question.
How did a thread that was talking about the exorbitant spending by both the Demicans and Republicrats end up another anti-war thread?
As much as I like debating this issue continuously with my Libertarian brethren. I also like to discuss the issues that I actually agree with you guys on. This thread was started with an example of the Dems new budget and examples of how both parties are addicted to pork and buying votes with our money.
At least it's not pharmaceutical ads like I've seen pop up on other threads.
The tax and spend politicians on both side of the aisle is something we should be screaming from the rooftops to our fellow Americans. They could have all their money back if they'd listen to us, so we just need to tell them in a bold way.
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I say enough talk, more action.
Posted by: Shane Skekel at February 1, 2007 03:39 PM