John McCain on "Earmarks"
John McCain tends too much toward a sort of "narcissistic maverickism" for my political tastes, but he gets many big issues right. As John Fund of Opinion Journal's Political Diary (a subscription service) reports, McCain seems right on Congressional earmarks:
[McCain] said the scandal in Washington is bipartisan because both parties earmark projects for favorite constituencies and insert them into bills at the last minute without anyone knowing until later. "You've got a process that breeds corruption. And it makes good people do bad things," he told Fox.
Asked why current reform plans pay short shrift to earmark reform, Mr. McCain was even blunter. Earmarks, he said, are "perceived to be by many politicians as their bread and butter, and preserves their incumbency." He concluded with a warning: "If we don't fix the earmarking, then I can assure you the corruption will go on."
Sounds right to me.
posted by Lowell Brown at 9:56 AM
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5 Comments:
The real problem is that corruption always follows power. Lord Acton's axiom that power corrupts is the key insight. Changing the rules to make earmarking harder is a good thing. But one wonders if there will be a dark lining similar to the one in McCain's campaign finance reform bill.
Thanks for the post.
Posted by Terrance
I agree. The corruption will continue, as will the out-of-control porkbelly spending we see all too often with earmarking.
Re: Terrance--Given that power in DC equates to the money that one controls, your concern is justified.
McCain says, "If we don't fix the earmarking, then I can assure you the corruption will go on."
Even if we do fix the earmarking (which we should), then I can assure you the corruption will go on. Scoundrels will find a way.
Posted by SkyePuppy
How long has McCain been in power? ...and he's just now discovering earmarks (pork)to be wrong?
Posted by DL
"How long has McCain been in power? ...and he's just now discovering earmarks (pork)to be wrong?"
Why SkyePuppy,-great minds think alike -you stole my thunder -it's so obvious to any McCain watcher that this man is just a male Hillary who is merely an opportunist without principle.
Posted by DL
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