Keith Ashdown
Keith Ashdown
bill challenges defense figure initial location money percent releases tied
One of the challenges of defense earmarks -- when you get initial bill 3 or 4 percent has a location tied to the earmark, then look at 535 releases and triangulate to figure out where the money is going.
betting billions cutting fiscal lose party pay promises public senators
Senators are betting that pandering to the public with billions in election-year promises will pay off more than they lose by cutting the fiscal conservatives in their own party off at the knees.
acted acting air billion business force instead nearly partner silent
Instead of the Air Force acting as an independent reviewer of this nearly $30 billion deal, they've acted as a silent business partner of Boeing.
bill history known
This bill will be known as the most earmarked transportation bill in the history of our nation.
hearings next sets stage
This sets the stage for some very, very interesting hearings next week.
best government shows strive
This shows the best government contractors don't always get hired, the most politically influential do. We need to strive for more competitive bidding.
simple
We would have been much, much better off with no bill. Everything they did, there's a simple way around it.
disease preventing symptom tools troops
Those 2,966 earmarks are a symptom of a disease that is preventing our troops from getting the tools they need.
contention costs cut deficit derived five half hopes including inevitable itself large likely next proposals tall
With all these new programs, the administration's contention that the deficit will be cut in half in the next five years is a tall tale, derived in large part by omitting very likely or inevitable costs, including costs for proposals the administration itself hopes and intends to support.
businesses happens runs thousands type yard
There are probably thousands of businesses that need this type of help, but this happens to be in the back yard of the lawmaker who runs the subcommittee.
business people
We need to get out of the business of subsidizing people who are in harm's way.
learn money months stolen wasted
We will learn months after the money was wasted or stolen that it was wasted and stolen.
cunningham duke trading
Under this bill, Duke Cunningham still would be able to get away with trading bribes for earmarks.
people protecting supposed victims
We're supposed to be protecting the victims of the storms, not the people insuring them.