Irrigate The Swamp?

Trump is probably correct that bringing back earmarks would let Congressional leaders buy votes more easily so they could "get things done".

There is also an issue of Congressional versus Executive power, illustrated by this Congressman from Florida:

The president’s sudden earmarks support drew cheers from some House Republicans such as Representative Tom Rooney of Florida. He has been pushing for an exception to the earmark ban to secure more money for modernizing the deteriorating water infrastructure in his state.

“I have received overwhelming support from people back home in Florida who expect me — not unelected bureaucrats — to make sure their tax dollars are invested in important programs and projects in their communities,” Mr. Rooney said.

Hmm. If I were an earnest Democrat worried that the faceless bureaucrats were being led by an insane clown posse of Republicans I might like the idea of writing some of these funding decisions into law rather than simply hoping Federal money is not all spent in Red and swing states. But that's just me.

Comments

[henry]

The infrastructure bill would grow faster than Bitcoin if they had earmarks. I can see it now, $100,000,000 to restore the Peoria Outhouse as a National Historic Monument, "Lincoln pooped here!"

[Comanche Voter]

Since politics---properly understood--is the art of the "possible", one ought not to forever abjure the use of a little "grease", as in earmarks.

Does it smell? Yes. But you have to decide whether you'll go for "perfect" and not get it, or simply settle for "good".

Life is full of choices. There are people who are howling about Trump "selling out" when he said that he would sign whatever Congress put before him. Well bunkie, that was today's statement. But if you can't get those lazy whores in Congress to finally roll over and put something on the President's desk he can neither sign it--nor veto it. And if it takes earmarks to get that legislation, then the Donald will have to apply the "sniff test". If the bill stinks too much, then he can veto it.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Using earmarks has the opposite effect of nationalizing an election. It makes the legislators more concerned about gettng funding for local concerns, which is a different way of getting voter approval.

I am thinking that maybe earmarks might defuse some of the rancor in DC and reduce Pelosi's power. It's an interesting thing to think about.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

This Thomas Wictor thread was broght to my attention by ChiTown Lurker. For a couple of weeks Wictor has been pointing out that the Iranian demonstrators have been using different techniques, ones he has seen the GCC commandoes use. It's a form of conquest with minimal violence.

Forbes Magazine has noticed this as well. Here is a thread with quotes from the article, as well as photos from Iran. Well worth the read so that you can understand what's happening.

https://twitter.com/ThomasWictor/status/951557639892119552

[Old Lurker]

I would have less trouble with earmarks if they fit within a balanced budget, passed into law, based on real accounting. Short of that I use the national debt clock as the best counting device of all earmarks to date. So $20T and counting.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Old Lurker,

It is my understanding that earmarks are not extra spending but carve-outs of money already appropriated. Is that wrong?

Governor Page of Maine is on now talking about how you have to reform welfare and get people self-sufficiency and self-respect.

Says that is how we used to be and now there is an effort to get people dependent in order to get their votes. He believes that this is wrong and that epople are happier when they are independent. Welfare reform in Maine has worked and he thinks it can work nationally.

[Old Lurker]

One must not forget that until 1975 out debt was less than 1/2 T. Tell me again what we got for the $20T since then?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Old Lurker,

What you got was the privilege of supporting countless leftist think tanks, businesses, study groups, government workers' unions, amd countless corrupt democrats who skim money off the top.

National Mango Board!!!!

[hoyden]

"Tell me again what we got for the $20T since then?" We got a lot more DC.

[Old Lurker]

I think that's right, MM, but meaningless if there is no binding real overall budget. If they come out of "allocation of scarce resources", that's one thing. If they just increase another deficit on top of the last deficit, then there is nothing approaching real budgeting going on. So earmarks are just more Monopoly money.

[daddy]

Finally got to this previously linked Conrad Black column, and it is delicious and has so many interesting words and turns of phrases that I am posting it again for anyone who missed it the first time: Michael Wolff and the Death Rattle of Trumpophobia

[Marlene]

MM,I also watched Gov. LePage. He has a few deadbeat siblings,so welfare hits close to home. He was thrown on the street at age 11,so except for the elderly,disabled and children,he is very tough on the issue.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-signals-openness-to-north-korea-diplomacy-in-interview-1515705497

Unfortunately, this is beyond the paywall. I am seeing comments about it pop up on Twitter. If I find quotes, I will post them.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--I mentioned earlier in the week here a story about some Japanese astronaut going into Space for a few months and in zero G he wound up 3 and a half inches taller.--

Saw a followup where he admitted he kinda messed that up, as in leave off the 3.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

The problem I have with earmarks is they are an inconsequential amount of spending that absorb an inordinate amount of time trying to defeat and when they are a cheer goes up like something significant has happened while $4 trillion sneaks through the backdoor unopposed.

Here's an idea; for every 10 bucks of real spending congress cuts, they get to divvy up 1 dollars worth of earmarks to buy votes with.
Our deficit would probably disappear overnight.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://thefederalist.com/2018/01/10/19-insane-tidbits-james-damores-lawsuit-googles-office-environment/

[daddy]

I am opposed to earmarks.

Remember our $80 Million Dollar Ice-Breaking Ferryboat fiasco? I am positive that is multiplied across the Nation by a million on any given year where earmarks exist. How about we find out where the $500 Billion disappeared at HUD first.

[Old Lurker]

Read MM's link at 4:54 if you want to know what sort of country they want for us all.

Unbelievable.

[daddy]

OT.

Last night was reading a short history book titled "Saxon's vs Vikings: Alfred the Great and England in the Dark Ages."

On page 33 came upon these 2 short graphs:

The Warrior Ethic

Although some Historians don't like the term, the period following Roman collapse is known as the 'Dark Ages.' The first piece of written English dates from 450, and was scratched on stone using the ancient Runic alphabet: "This she-wolf is a reward to my Kinsman." But almost nothing would be written by them for another two centuries.

The Anglo-Saxons had eight words for spear, twelve for battle, and thirty-six for hero, but before the Romans introduced them they had no concept of table, pillow, or street. The oldest words in the English language, dating from this period, include "tits" and "fart," which suggest a society that must have had it's moments, but was hardly on the verge of the Renaissance. The language also had no future tense, which points to a certain lack of ambition.

To the Happy Mexican!

[henry]

Right OL. Then watch O'Keefe's Twitter videos. What happens when these zealots get hold of NSA's everything trove from the FICA bill? Note to self, get more ammo.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

I maintain that when we uncover emails or memos from the FBI or DOJ outlining the dem plan for how average people will be treated, the dam will burst.You know they are there, from the Google lawsuit revelations.

How do you think the average person would feel being treated like Google was treating their employee?

[Neo Whigs]

Maguire gives Trump yet another free ride with OPM...

Hypocrites Rule!

[Thirsty and Winning]

Liberal tears taste so sweet!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

daddy,

I detect a certain snootiness concerning the Anglo-Saxons which permeates academia and is descended from English university attitudes colored by their aristocracy, who are, of course, descended from the Norman Conquerors.

[Neo Whigs]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-attacks-protections-for-immigrants-from-shithole-countries-in-oval-office-meeting/2018/01/11/bfc0725c-f711-11e7-91af-31ac729add94_story.html?utm_term=.14b6022b9980

Trump doing his best to make US a shithole...

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

By the way, did you guys know that the words we use for farm animals (cow, sheep, pig) are descended from the Anglo-Saxon words (because they remained on the land, farming) while the words for the cooked meat, enjoyed by lords of the manor, are descended from Norman French(beef, mutton, pork)?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

How coincidental that an anonymous and unsourced leak is released by a shithole paper on the very day that Trump had meetings both on prison reform and urban outreach.

[Neo Whigs]

Fellow Athoritarian hypocrites @ Patterico know just how pathetic the tiny pecker parade has become. Massive doses of Viagra have met resistance..

[Neo Whigs]

Maguure:

Come out and play.

Howz your anti-democracy developing?

[Neo Whigs]

Didn't I tell you years ago I would be here when the Rumpublican Party has it's graveyard ceremony.

Any day now..

[Extraneus]

Don't answer the fool, MM.

[Extraneus]

In fact, read the author before reading the comments for a while. It's easy. He only gets me on his first comment.

[maryrose]

Caro:
Belated Happy Birthday!
I hope you enjoyed a wonderful day!
I was unable to post yesterday.
Common sense says the dossier was used to obtain a FISA warrant to continue the already illegal spying on Trump and and family and his campaign.
It smells like a Clinton operation
Obama used questionable tactics to win his Senate seat.
It goes to the lack of character on both of their parts.
Benghazi and their crappy behavior and lies revealed it for all to see.

[Captain Hate]

Billy Boy Kristol must be sobbing to the Eggman:

http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=373340

[Dave (in MA)]

She doesn't want to join Taft as the answer to the trivia question about presidents who got stuck in the White House bathtub.

[Janet 🚬]

Boy, that WaPo link is something.
What a junk publication.

It isn't even first hand anonymous slander...it is 2nd hand anonymous slander.
Somebody told somebody & they told us.

[Dave (in MA)]

The guy who had to step down from the MA state Senate leadership because his Pee-Wee Herman lookalike husband was going around grabbing unsuspecting dongs has separated from the aforementioned PWHl.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2018/01/separated_from_husband_ex_senate_president_returns_to_state_house#.WlevAnpqkIo.twitter

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Janet,

And all of the press lemmings take it as gospel truth and report it. I have been watching it repeated on even Fox and the Daily Caller.

[lyle]

Sounds like another progtard was unable to climax over the Wolfe book after hours of masturbating.

[Extraneus]

What happens when these zealots get hold of NSA's everything trove from the FICA bill?

It *is* pretty scary, henry.

Maybe Trump will break them up in his 2nd term. Otherwise, we're cooked.

[Bubarooni]

they are having the vapors on cnn over the WaPo story.

they say he be a racist!

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Meanwhile...

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/11/fiat-chrysler-to-invest-more-than-1-billion-in-michigan-plant-and-give-2000-bonuses-in-response-to-tax-reform.html

[Clarice Feldman]

raise your hand if you DO NOT think the Third world is made up of shithole countries.

[Bubarooni]

SOURCE: TRUMP SLURS IMMIGRANTS FROM "SHITHOLE COUNTRIES"

Chyron on CNN at the moment.

He's not slurring the countries but rather the poor immigrants themselves.

See how they did that?

[daddy at The Happy Mexican]

And all of the press lemmings take it as gospel truth and report it.

When i got to the Lobby TV last night it was tuned to MSNBC (I think Chris Hayes maybe) and before I could find the remote control and change it to FOX Business Channel, the Talking Head was saying "there is a 33% chance that Trump will be impeached, and a 33% chance that he will resign before he is impeached..." at which point I found the remote and changed the channel.

They truly are living in an alternate universe.

[henry]

Grahamnesty and Dickturban are butthurt that they couldn't meet Trump without the House side of the deal present? That WaPo article is the best thing I've read all day.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/mattis-reveals-personal-side-visit-troops-recounts-meeting-insurgent-tried-kill/

[GUS]

CNN is a shithole itself.

[Catsmeat]

Daddy, MM, CH--I am so pleased that you all also vehemently don't wish to curtail your liberty by reading beyond the merits (or even personal inclination) of books: life's too short. Thank you for the blessings on my mom, who at 83 is still finishing to the end books she doesn't like, because because. The true reason is that she thinks that ladies don't not finish books, and she's a lady. Again (cat laugh) I'm a professional.

[Jane]

Only in MA Dave. Seriously,

[Captain Hate]

From the Bezos link:

President Trump grew frustrated with lawmakers Thursday in the Oval Office when they floated restoring protections for immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and African countries as part of a bipartisan immigration deal, according to two people briefed on the meeting.

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump said, according to these people, referring to African countries and Haiti.

El Salvador's in Africa?

[daddy at The Happy Mexican]

they are having the vapors on cnn over the WaPo story.

they say he be a racist!

Mexico is a shithole country. So is almost every other country the Spanish conquered and colonized---Cuba, Venezuela, the Phillipines, South America, etc. They are all corrupt basket cases of countires, so what's the problem with calling them shitholes? Thats's what they are.

[jimmyk on iPhone]

LOL Dave@5:55.

[Extraneus]

Democrats Use Trump’s ‘Sh*thole’ Comment To Blow Up Amnesty Talks

[Clarice Feldman]

Heck even the 4 Latam writers who wrote Guide to the Perfect Latin American Idiot would argue they are shitholes and culturally at odds with us.

[Clarice Feldman]

Alex Bensky Trump may have said a nasty thing, if true, about Haiti, Clarice. But at least he hasn't misappropriated money aimed at relief of Haiti, like an unnamed former SoS I could name.

[GUS]

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?”

Anyone care to answer the question????

[Extraneus]

Do they really think anyone but Google employees or wannabes would mind calling certain countries shitholes? I bet he goes up in real approval, not necessarily the polls. We'll see. The guy's staying real, being himself.

[henry]

Because anyone with a job is fleeing IL, CA, etc. next census they will lose house seats (unless they pad their populations with people from wherever is desperate enough to send them). Then the Electoral College Math flips against progdom.

[lyle]

Most of California east of I-5 is a shithole. But so is Pocatello ID...

[Janet 🚬]

Anyone care to answer the question????

President Trump Asks a Good Question About Immigration

https://www.frontpagemag.com/point/269000/president-trump-asks-good-question-about-daniel-greenfield#.Wlf35mLUtqI.facebook

[henry]

Also, how much of entitlement spending is allocated to states by population? Medicaid. EBT. Basically all of it and the graft that goes with it?

[Janet 🚬]

from the front page link - "This is one of those Washington Post recreations, so assume it may be every bit as made up as Wolff's oeuvre. But whether or not Trump asked it, it's a good question."

[Captain Hate]

Because anyone with a job is fleeing IL, CA, etc. next census they will lose house seats (unless they pad their populations with people from wherever is desperate enough to send them). Then the Electoral College Math flips against progdom.

Boom goes the dynamite. Suck it, progs.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01-11/army-finds-830-million-missing-helicopters-first-ever-audit-begins

I think there will be a lot more of this in almost all departments.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Sometimes Twitter is SO satisfying. Statement followed by a question:

Bill Kristol
‏Verified account @BillKristol
Jan 10

Donald Trump: Tough on immigrants working at 7-Elevens, soft on wealthy Russians coming here to give birth.

The Z Blog
‏ @TheRealZBlog
3m3 minutes ago

Bill, do you think your son-in-law will get jail time for his role in fake dossier caper?

[JimNorCal]

daddy, I finished the book on Washington and it was stellar, thanks.
If you haven't viewed it already I'm sure you'll be stimulated by this talk by VDH about "savior generals", soldiers who by sheer force of will and single handed are able to win wars that are objectively lost.
https://youtu.be/SsoQdnF2hP4

[Extraneus]

Who's Kristol's s-i-l?

[Extraneus]

Continetti?

[James D.]

I just assume the WaPo story is a complete fabrication, top to bottom. Why should it be different than most everything else they churn out?

[narcisoyea]

Matt continetti, owner of the free beacon, which purportedly paid for the first half of the dossier. Who also wrote which in retrospect was a very condescending profile of the huntress

[Manuel Transmission]

Strange day today. First, the landline starts ringing with scam calls early and continued about every 15 min. all day. WTH. Did they release a bunch of Soros trolls from detention?

Then we endured over 3 in. of steady rain since before sun up. Thats about two months worth in less than 12 hrs.

Finally, with the ceilings down to about our front deck, we had dozens of Whidbey F-18s ripping around. WTH was that about? Ready to deploy to NOKO?

[mad jack]

so if they are not shitholes why would there be such demand to leave them? demos going to walk away from a deca deal because of this? i wish.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Um;
1. If they aren't shitholes why are they trying to leave them and come here?
2. If they aren't shitholes, why do progs act like it's a death sentence if we send them back to the shitholes?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

ian bremmer‏Verified account @ianbremmer

Trump Davos speech needs to be Pay Per View.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Most of California east of I-5 is a shithole.--

Whoa, whoa, whoa there fella. There are a few gruesome towns in the central valley but you're talking about the Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, six National Parks, Lake Tahoe, the lovely and delightful Gold Country [where DocJ and I live] and on and on.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Somehow, I think this is another dem attack that is going to blow up in their faces:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DTTWHJZX4AALufy.jpg

[Threadkiller]

The afterbirthers preached that the child of citizens of a shithole country was good enough to be eligible for POTUS if the shitholeans, during the child's birth, managed the get her vajayjay shooting in the right direction from the top of the border fence.

"Put a litte English on it mamacita!"

[Threadkiller]

I always thought the term "dreamers" was the type of nomenclature that the useless GOPe should have never accepted.

It creates undeserved lopsided sympathy beyond the actual problem at hand.

I called them illegals but I think a compromise name is in order.

Shitholdovers

[narcisoyea]

As the only one who comes from one of those ahem, countries I say Barbara streissand, good grief they do spend their entire lives manipulating themselves. Btw I would take Ricardo martinelli (pagar will know why) over mccain, three times on friday, he was subject to the trump treatment by his understudy varela. D'souza over bhaara,

[Captain Hate]

I always thought the term "dreamers" was the type of nomenclature that the useless GOPe should have never accepted.

The donor class tells them to accept it and like it.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Twitter is now pointing out that Chicago and DC are shitholes. LOL!

[narcisoyea]

Can we send him back to Namibia:
https://babalublog.com/2018/01/11/libertarian-golden-boy-jeff-flake-claims-expelled-cuban-spy-tells-the-truth-while-his-president-lies/

[GUS]

I like SHITHOLIO. He's my fave rapper.

[lyle]

Most, Ig. Certainly not all. I was thinking more Riverside.

[lyle]

FTR, I can drive a mere 30-40 minutes from my house to any number of shithole towns.

[Captain Hate]

I drove through the shithole called East Cleveland last night.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Sundance has a document (which should please Extraneus) which seems to prove that Fusion GPS was running FISA 702 inquiries.

https://twitter.com/TheLastRefuge2/status/951619616442408962

Read the thread. Other people find additional information.

[Soulman Young]

Detroit has been a shit hole for many decades.

[GUS]

Where are the thousands of murders committed each year in AMERICA??

LIBTARD SHITHOLES.

[Doc Vandelay]

Trump should say he caught a cold from Feinstein and doesn't recall saying "shithole" but it could have been the cold medication taking.

[Good Ole Days]

Remember was "schlonged" was a big f'ing deal?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Oh yeah, Riverside-Ontario, I'd call them hellholes more than shitholes.
I'll never forget getting off the KC-135 in the early eighties at March AFB and barely being able to see through the smog and heatwaves across the flightline while our boots practically melted on the tarmac.
I have a friend who says he moved to Riverside and lived there three years before he could see there were 10,000 mountains right behind town.

[narcisoyea]

Rush favorite little target was Rio Linda, an outcropping of Sacramento, that resembles deliverance I imagine

[Buckeye]

No shortage of shitholes in Columbus, and they come in every flavor.

White trash shitholes, african-american shitholes, african-african shitholes, muzzie shitholes, mexican shitholes.

We have all the bases covered, equal opportunity to the max.

Home grown or imported, we don't discriminate.

[Jim Eagle]

Sometimes I feel I live in a shithole country.

An American citizen runs for the countries highest office and is surveilled by that countries intelligence community and has a report prepared by his opposition, a member of the party in power, to discredit him and I am to believe I don't live in a shithole country?

Tell me more.

[Captain Hate]

If DiFi is ever on trial for treason, will she opt for the Uncle Leo defense?

[Clarice Feldman]

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/01/11/the-doj-and-fbi-worked-with-fusion-gps-on-operation-trump/

Fusion was an FBI subcontractor and had been allowed to make queries of material in NSA files. and then its dossier was used to get a FISA warrant to cover things up.https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/01/11/the-doj-and-fbi-worked-with-fusion-gps-on-operation-trump/

Rogers blew the whistle on them. Only person not in CTH extensive review--Bill Priestap. Is he talking?

[Threadkiller]

Love it or leave it:

Republican Rep. Mia Love (Utah) on Thursday called for President Trump to apologize for those he "wantonly maligned" in his reported comments about immigrants from "shithole countries."

Love, who was born to Haitian parents, said the president's comments about those from Haiti and African countries were "unkind, divisive, elitist and fly in the face of our nation's values."

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/368627-gop-rep-mia-love-calls-on-trump-to-apologize-for-those-he-watonly

Leave it.

Sorry Mia, you can go to hell.

#AnchorBaby?