Western Colorado’s chunk of the $284 billion highway bill that Congress passed this year is necessary for the region’s development, U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., said Wednesday. . . .
“I’m not willing to cut any of the projects,” said Salazar, also a member of the Democratic Blue Dog caucus, which opposes Congressional spending on credit and justification for pet projects.
Obviously a Tom Delay fan. Meanwhile, a challenge to Republicans:
But the real debate isn’t happening in Congress as a whole – it is unfolding within the Republican Party. The debate will shape the future of the GOP. If Republicans – the one-time party of small government and fiscal restraint — cannot support spending cuts now, then they will officially signal their abandonment of fiscal conservatism, a once valued part of the Republican platform. . . .
Bloggers, too have latched onto this theme. A coalition of bloggers have launched a website called “porkbusters.” The site lists every member of the House and Senate by the name and has a column next to the name for “committed cuts,” or sacrifices. Currently, the only member of Congress listed with a “committed cut” is House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Many Republican members of Congress must be asking themselves, “Is Nancy Pelosi the best fiscal conservative this Congress has to offer?”
Heh. Indeed.