Meet the New Boss....Same as the old boss

Same old story same old song and dance, same as it ever was, meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Pick your favorite classic rock song on that matter, since it applies to politics as well. I thought the democrats were claiming to be fiscally responsible. I thought they were going to be different than the Ted Stevens wing of the GOP. Same as it ever was. It's no surprise actually, more democrats voted for the Bridge to Nowhere than did republicans. David Obey is laying down the law on us.

The AP actually called them out on it in the Star-Tribune.

WASHINGTON - After promising unprecedented openness regarding Congress' pork barrel practices, House Democrats are moving in the opposite direction as they draw up spending bills for the upcoming budget year.
Democrats are sidestepping rules approved their first day in power in January to clearly identify "earmarks'' - lawmakers' requests for specific projects and contracts for their states - in documents that accompany spending bills.

Rather than including specific pet projects, grants and contracts in legislation as it is being written, Democrats are following an order by the House Appropriations Committee chairman to keep the bills free of such earmarks until it is too late for critics to effectively challenge them.

Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., says those requests for dams, community grants and research contracts for favored universities or hospitals will be added to spending measures in the fall. That is when House and Senate negotiators assemble final bills to send to President Bush.

(snip)

Now I expect this from the democrats (and Ted Stevens, and any Hawaii or Alaska rep from either party). This is what they do. It's why you got Granholm here on the state level dead set on tax increases, and Bill Clinton's 1993 push for energy and gas tax increases(the gas tax increased passed). Tax and spend.

Our own party needs to continue to expose Abscam crook Murtha and his earmarks, shed more spotlight on Obey here, and make this the face of the democrats - while at the same time keeping Ted Stevens and his wing in check to avoid the hypocracy that occured in the last few years causing us to lose the Reagan Democrats in 06.