BCT Editorial – 8/31/08

This page was last updated on August 31, 2008.

Pervasive pork; Editorial; Beaver County Times; August 31, 2008.

Though the editorial predictably stays away from Democrat pork, it is correct in that too many elected Republicans view pork the same as their Democrat counterparts.

At any rate, let’s look at the ratings by Citizens Against Government Waste. According to its 2007 Congressional Ratings, “CCAGW also broke down ratings based on party affiliation and membership in the two fiscally conservative groups, the Republican Study Committee and the Blue Dog Democrats. The average scores were: House Republicans 60 percent, up 14 percentage points from their grade of 46 percent in 2006; House Democrats 5 percent, down 4 percentage points from their 9 percent score in 2006; House Republican Study Committee 73 percent, up 17 percentage points from their 56 percent score in 2006; and House Blue Dog Democrats 11 percent, down 9 percentage points from their 20 percent score in 2006.” While elected Republicans as a group need a lot of improvement, they are still light-years ahead of elected Democrats as a group.

The editorial was ill advised to indicate pork barrel spending was not something a “fiscal conservative” would do. While conservatives would agree, the left has a different definition of fiscal conservatism. You see, the left’s definition of fiscal conservatism is that any amount of spending on any project is OK as long as the budget is balanced. When leftists direct the spending, a balanced budget isn’t required to be “fiscally conservative.”

One last thing. Did you note the editorial didn’t compare the pork barrel spending records of Sen. McCain and his VP running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin vs. Sens. Obama and Biden? That’s because both Mr. McCain and Mrs. Palin have strong records as budget hawks (fiscal conservatives), including refraining from pork barrel spending. Remember Alaska’s “bridge to nowhere” championed by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)? During her first year in office Gov. Palin told Congress Alaska wasn’t interested and would build the bridge itself if it ever decided a bridge was necessary. Alaska has cut its earmark requests nearly in half. Mr. McCain has a lifetime CAGW rating of 88% (very good) and 100% for 2007.

And the records of Messrs. Obama and Biden? Mr. Obama’s lifetime (2005-2007) CAGW rating is 18% (very bad) and Mr. Biden’s is 22%. Their 2007 ratings were 10% and 0%, respectively. FYI, Rep. Jason Altmire (D-4) has a lifetime (2007) rating of 17%.

Does the Times really want to get into a pork barrel spending debate?