Napolitano, Schatz touted McCain as one of "very few members" of Congress who oppose government pork
SUMMARY: Fox News' Andrew P. Napolitano uncritically touted Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) as one of few members of Congress who are able to reject pork-barrel government projects. Napolitano made these remarks during a conversation with Tom Schatz, the president of Citizens against Government Waste, who also said that McCain is one of the "very few" lawmakers "who don't take these kinds of projects." In fact, McCain recently introduced a bill to spend $10 million in federal money to establish an Arizona law center in tribute to late Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist, which critics have argued is a "classic" pork-barrel project that "funnel[s] money directly to a home-state institution for a project that should find financing elsewhere."
During the April 5 broadcast of the Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly, guest host and Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew P. Napolitano uncritically touted Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) as one of few members of Congress who are able to reject pork-barrel government projects by saying, "No, this isn't in the Constitution, and I'm not gonna use my power to take tax dollars and spend it." Napolitano made these remarks during a conversation with Tom Schatz, the president of Citizens against Government Waste, who asserted that McCain is one of the "very few" lawmakers "who don't take these kinds of projects." Neither Napolitano or Schatz mentioned, as Media Matters for America has noted, that McCain recently introduced a bill to spend $10 million in federal money to establish an Arizona law center in tribute to late Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist, which critics have argued is a "classic" pork-barrel project that "funnel[s] money directly to a home-state institution for a project that should find financing elsewhere."
From the April 5 broadcast of Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:
NAPOLITANO: So, the Congress actually votes on legislation that its members haven't read, haven't debated, don't understand, but are just willing to sort of accept on faith that Sparta, North Carolina, needs a half a million dollars for a teacup museum?
SCHATZ: Well, in many cases, they vote on the bills and accept them even though they may not like the total amount, because they have some projects. There are very few members -- and two of them were at our press event earlier today, Senator Tom Coburn [R] of Oklahoma, Senator John McCain of Arizona -- who don't take these kinds of projects. But they are --
NAPOLITANO: Congressman Ron Paul [R] of Texas.
SCHATZ: Right. Ron Paul of Texas, [Rep.] Jeff Flake [R] of Arizona, but we're talking about a handful of members of Congress who will stand up to this type of wasteful spending.
[...]
NAPOLITANO: Is, is there something about Potomac fever? Is there something about living or working or being part of the governing class on Capitol Hill that makes it almost impossible to do what Senator Coburn, Senator McCain, my friend and hero Congressman Ron Paul, do, which is just simply say, "No, this isn't in the Constitution, and I'm not gonna use my power to take tax dollars and spend it on it?"
What we need is (for our amusement) the entire choir presently singing the Battle Hymm of "Maverick" McCain, to get together with that other choir (or are they the same choir?) singing the Hillary Lament (you know what the're lamenting: her unChristian, lesbianish lack of Interior Decorating taste; or was she simply sloven? That was a hard lament to discern)...
Anyway, let's get these two choirs together, on the matter of Presidential Candidates '08, and get them singing their chorus alternately and in tandem (the choir pleases that way), back 'n forth, and then at the same time:
The Praises of the "Maverick"!
And the Lamentations of Hillary!
(O how she cleans not her own house; O how she adheres not to the Scriptures and the Commandments; O how she hangs out with dykes, or at least somehow reminds us of them.)
We need this, for our amusement.
These "choirs" are NOT for our amusement. These guys are deadly serious, and their use of partisan "OPINION" sprinkled with rumors and accusations (which have little if any basis in FACT), is how they go about polluting democracy.
They relentlessly smear opponents with innuendo, while simultaneously lionizing and cannonizing whoever looks like they might have a chance for the GOP. McCain is polling at the front, so it is time to position him as a "maverick" who is "fiscally responsible" unlike all those OTHER guys in Congress.
SO WHAT if it's provably not true? SO WHAT if he's a porker along with the rest of the GOP who have ballooned the size of government and sent our DEFICIT soaring in the TRILLIONS? If he can just be distanced from his fellows, he might avoid the avalanche of disaproval the American people are heaping on the Republicans.
Republicans cannot "reinvent" themselves. Republicans cannot run as "REFORMERS" ... they have been in charge, and the MESS is theirs entirely. Republicans cannot blame Democrats, or Clinton, or anybody else for what they have done. Sure, they can TRY to escape responsibility, and TRY to say their failed policies were not their fault, but the American people are wise to this scam.
By reversing himself and snuggling up to Bush recently, McCain has rendered himself useless, as a "maverick" and as a candidate. Such a zany reversal puts him in the same league as Ross Perot. He cannot now be revitalized ... he has committed political suicide. And all of Roger Aile's horses and men cannot put McCain back together again.
again Tex, however remember that pushing the 2008 Elections to the Fore Front is a ploy to get people from thinking about the 2006 Congressional Elections. We must make this the Utmost Priority. If we can take control of Congress, the 2008 Elections will be no problem.
the only "bad" pork is that which goes to someone else's district. I would have expected better from CAGW, however in looking at their list of Fiscal 2005 pork, Arizona does rank well down the list at (per capita) 72% of the national average and a paltry 2% of Alaska's total. So while not on a "pork free" diet, if the rest of Congress followed Arizona's example, the Federal Budget would look a little better.
As if any member of Congress "opposes" pork. Go look up Porkbusters. They all do this crap.
Keating Five.
Y'all know McCain quite well ! We have our hands full as always with the lazy press .