Why is Bush all of the sudden concerned about pork spending?

Question

I find it hilarious that Bush during his "rubber-stamp" presidency, who vetoed his FIRST bill in late '06 sits in judgement of this bill. So, why do neo-cons try to use this as an excuse for Bush's impending veto? The argument is just not valid when you look at his track-record? Does anyone else see this and feel it's hypocrisy?


Under Republicans, pork spending has grown by estimates of as much as 600% across ALL spending bills. Nothing better illustrates the meltdown in spending restraint than earmarking, the process by which members secure special pork projects, ex. Alaska's infamous $223 million "bridge to nowhere."
2001-2005 period marks the transformation of the Rep. party from its traditional role as a win-or-lose guardian of limited government to that of a majority government party just as comfortable with big government as the Dems, only with different spending priorities," says Chris DeMuth, pres. of the A.E.I.

http://porkbusters.org/2006/09/republicans_say.php

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0504/051004nj1.htm

http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=11000

Answer 1

hypocritical yes, consistent yes. he consistently masks his true reason for doing things from the people then screams "unpatriotic" if anyone opposes him.

Answer 2

Now the K-street lobbists are schmoosing the democrats...Bush now sees Pork Spending as a means of infusing the democrats with special interest money for resources for the upcoming campaign. Our political system is ruining our nation and both parties are responsible. George Washington was right to warn us about getting involved in Foriegn Entanglements and the Evils of Politcal Parties.

Answer 3

Well, if you want to know my honest opinion, I think he's afraid that all the anit-vegans are going to freak out that people aren't buying enough pork and then the vegitarians are going to start up and then we're going to have a big huge meat/vegetable war...
If you've guessed I'm being smart with you, you're right. I don't know where you get your info, but it isn't very valid.

Answer 4

It's a joke, like when Bush promised in the SOU that we would have a balanced budget by 2012 (he must have a tremendous amount of faith in the abilities of the next Democratic President if he thinks they can fix his disastrous mess that quickly).

Answer 5

Not that so much. It is the time table to pull out of Iraq.
It is a bad idea to tell your enemies what you are going to do!
If they know when we are leaving they will just wait until we are gone, Then take over!!!!

Answer 6

Hopefully he has seen the error of his ways. Some things I disagree with Bush on. Spending is one.

But why not try to reign in spending? And why try to make it a partisan issue? Only an idiot would argue that its not a problem.

Oh I get it....You are a liberal, you don't want to cut spending, you want to raise taxes.

Answer 7

Maybe because that pork was used by the likes of liberal Nancy Pelosi and her party to buy votes for a meaningless surrender bill? You like to talk about that bridge to nowhere (I know nothing about that, to be honest). But let's look at where this ONE bill's $24 BILLION in pork go!

$500 million for emergency wildfires suppression; the Forest Service currently has $831 million for this purpose;

$400 million for rural schools;

$283 million for the Milk Income Loss Contract program;

$120 million to compensate for the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the shrimp and menhaden fishing industries;

$100 million for citrus assistance;

$74 million for peanut storage costs;

$60.4 million for salmon fisheries in the Klamath River region in California and Oregon;

$50 million for asbestos mitigation at the U.S. Capitol Plant;

$48 million in salaries and expenses for the Farm Service Agency;

$35 million for NASA risk mitigation projects in Gulf Coast;

$25 million for spinach growers;

$25 million for livestock;

$20 million for Emergency Conservation Program for farmland damaged by freezing temperatures;

$16 million for security upgrades to House of Representatives office buildings;

$10 million for the International Boundary and Water Commission for the Rio Grande Flood Control System Rehabilitation project;

$6.4 million for House of Representative’s Salaries and Expenses Account for business continuity and disaster recovery expenses;

$5 million for losses suffered by aquaculture businesses including breeding, rearing, or transporting live fish as a result of viral hemorrhagic septicemia;

$4 million for the Office of Women’s Health at the Food and Drug Administration

Oh that is only what the house added, here is the list from the senate.

$1.5 billion to the Army Corps of Engineers for recovery along the coast, including funding for Hawaii for an April 2006 flood;

$850 million for Department of Homeland Security grants ($625M for rail/transit grants, $190M for port security grants, and $35M for urban area security grants);

$660 million for the procurement of an explosives detection system for the Transportation Security Administration;

$640 million for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program;

$425 million for education grants for rural areas;

$388.9 million for a backlog of Department of Transportation projects;

$165.9 million (including $60.4 million for salmon fisheries in the Klamath Basin region) for fisheries disaster relief;

$100 million for the Democratic and Republican National Conventions;

$95 million for dairy producers;

$75 million for salaries and expenses for the Farm Service Agency;

$48 million in disaster construction money for NASA;

$25 million for grants through the Safe and Drug Free Schools program;

$25 million for asbestos abatement at the Capitol Power Plant;

$24 million to sugar beet producers;

$22.8 million for geothermal research and development;

$20 million for reimbursements to Nevada for “insect damage;”

$13 for "ewe replacement and retention;"

$12 million for Forest Service money requested by the president in the non-emergency FY2008 budget

$3.5 million for guided tours of the Capitol;

$3 million for sugar cane

Answer 8

All three of your links are to peoples personal opiniated blogs which gives you no credability at all. Can we please have an intelligent asker step up please?