Harry Reid’s Culture of Corruption
by Patrick Ruffini :: January 11th, 2007 10:44 pmWell, that didn’t take long. In just the fifth vote of the new Congress, Harry Reid and Ted Kennedy used procedural skulduggery to sink Senator Jim DeMint’s earmark reform amendment in the Senate. Here’s how it was described by a Senate staffer to Robert Bluey at Human Events:
The Senate just rejected an attempt by Sen. Durbin, the Majority Whip for the Democrats, to kill a DeMint amendment to add Nancy Pelosi’s earmark disclosure requirements to the Senate lobbying reform bill. Sen. Durbin’s motion to kill the Pelosi earmark rule was rejected by a vote of 51-46, with most Democrats voting to kill the amendment. Under normal procedures, the amendment would then be adopted by unanimous consent since the Senate was on record supporting the amendment. However, Sen. Kennedy took the unprecedented step of blocking adoption of the amendment.
On only the fifth vote of the new Congress, Senate Democrats are now on record opposing common sense earmark reform — reform that has already been adopted by the House under the direction of Speaker Nancy Pelosi — and are on record using obstruction tactics to thwart the will of the Senate and the American public on earmark reform. Senate Democrats are also on record opposing the comprehensive earmark disclosure requirements crafted by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Under the earmark definition in the underlying Senate bill, 95 percent of earmarks would have been exempt from disclosure. Under the Pelosi rule, nearly all earmarks are required to be disclosed.
Bluey has the full rundown, including the must-see video of Reid dragging his feet on the DeMint amendment and attacking Pelosi’s “100 Hours” for its lack of “thoughtful consideration.”
Jim DeMint has been one of the rock stars of the new Congress. And Senator McConnell is no wallflower either. Make sure to thank Tim Chapman and Jon Henke when you run across them next.
Tagged: congress 
harry reid jim demint pork
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Paul,
The roll call vote on the DeMint amendment is here:
Only 6 Republicans including, yes, Stevens and Lott, voted against the DeMint amendment, joining 40 of the 51 Democrats.
Spending/earmarks are a big part of why we lost control of Congress. Which is why it’s so refreshing to see DeMint leading the way on this one, with the vast majority of Senate Republicans on his side.
Dirty Harry needs to go!
Ruffini, in order to avoid the appearance of being a Republican Party mouthpiece, perhaps you ought to add an addendum telling us about the Republican (stupid party) leadership who joined Harry Reid in trying to torpedo earmark reform. Start with Trent Lott.
What we should have learned from the 2006 elections is that this is not a DHIMMIcRAT vs reTHUGlican issue. Both parties are being led by corruptocrats.
You want back in power? For starters, you’re going to have to purge the Republican party of people like Trent Lott, that thug from Alaska, etc. Emphasis on the “for starters”.
Until we hear you joining those of us who want true reform for the Republican Party, you’re going to continue to be just another DHIMMIcRAT bashing non-solution to the problem.