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May 12, 2006
Porker Investigated
My congressman from about ten years ago before I moved is now under investigation:
Federal prosecutors have begun an investigation into Rep. Jerry Lewis, the Californian who chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee, government officials and others said, signaling the spread of a San Diego corruption probe.The U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles has issued subpoenas in an investigation into the relationship between Lewis (R-Redlands) and a Washington lobbyist linked to disgraced former Rep. Randy 'Duke' Cunningham (R-Rancho Santa Fe), three people familiar with the investigation said.
Lewis is responsible for tens of millions of dollars of pork going to companies in my old home town. And here is the frustration many of us face with pork spending and the Republican party today. Unless there have been major changes since I left there is no chance Lewis is going to lose unless he is actually convicted of a crime. The Democrats always ran the same lame candidate against him when I lived there and Lewis always trounced him. Lewis has been representing that district now since 1978, which means he was first elected about the same time I was born.
By the way, put me down as one of those guys who cannot comprehend the argument that conservatives ought to sit out this election to 'punish' the GOP so that they'll 'learn a lesson' and get better/more conservative in the future. To advocates of this position, I must respectfully ask... are you out of your flippin' mind? By what logic does a constituency become more influential and powerful by becoming less active, and demonstrating less capability to turn out the vote and influence elections?
That is a fine argument and all, but how else are we supposed to fix the problem? In my case for instance I am fine with one of my GOP Senators (Cornyn), but disappointed in the corporation subsidising and pork lovin' Hutchinson who is up for reelection. I have a Democrat representing me in congress now that I do not like because I recently moved to a new district, so I will vote against him, but I did not care much for the Republican who represented me in my old district. Jim Geraghty is arguing that we should keep going back to the abusive husband because he promises to change this time and that it is better than being alone.
Posted by Pete at May 12, 2006 07:55 AM
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Comments
I wrote about him back in January. (Link: http://williamjenningsbryan.blogspot.com/2006/01/welcome-to-909.html) This is absolutely no surprise to me. A complete lack of opposition tends to give a politician a sense of invincibility.
Posted by: Jeff at May 12, 2006 04:06 PM
Jim Geraghty is arguing that we should keep going back to the abusive husband because he promises to change this time and that it is better than being alone.
No, he's arguing that the abusive husband who sometimes pays the bills and only cheats on you some of the time is better than the drug-dealing Hell's Angel you saw at the bar one night who you have rape fantasies about.
Posted by: the snob at May 15, 2006 11:46 AM
How about this: use blogs to publicize who support which pork, Dem and Rep.? The Conservatives only vote for those, Dem or Rep, who voted against the porks, and against those who voted for the porks. Conservatives can make this one-issue anti-pork election to strengthen conservatives' position. With luck, we may eventually get rid of Trent Lott.
Posted by: ic at May 15, 2006 03:10 PM
YOU STATE THAT CONSERVATIVES SHOULD HANG IN THERE AND VOTE FOR THE MORE CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE, FINE AND GOOD.
HOW ABOUT THE SPECTER-TOOMEY DEBACLE IN PENNSYLVANIA? BUSH AND THE PARTY LEADERS WOULD HAVE NO PART IN SUPPORTING TOOMEY AND ACTUALLY HELPED SPECTER PUT TOOMEY OUT OF THE RACE. WE ENDED UP WITH AN ASS IN THE SENATE INSTAED OF A POSSIBLY GOOD CONSERVATIVE.
BLINDLY SUPPORT THE GOP WHEN THEY DO NOT ALLOW YOU CHOICES---NOT ME.
Posted by: Ben Rickert at May 15, 2006 10:35 PM
Hey Ben, your caps lock key is stuck. You might want to jiggle your keyboard some.
Posted by: Pete at May 16, 2006 07:36 AM