First, something should be said about earmarks. It's not that earmarks are bad per se. They're bad because they can be used to funnel pork money into special projects for Senators and Congressmen. On the other hand, local spending can be necessary. When Ron Paul's district was hit by hurricane Katrina, he earmarked legislation to allot money for disaster relief.
Earmarks present the perfect dilemma for a strict, anti-tax constitutionalist. If he earmarks money on bills that he knows will pass, he has appropriated money from the public for a special project. However, if he allots the money without earmarking the legislation, the administrative agencies can spend it without any accountability to the voters. The strict constitutionalist finds this latter option even more abhorrent because it divests power one step further from the electorate. The best thing he can do is to earmark the bills and then vote against the entire legislation as an abomination, which is precisely what Ron Paul does.
I wouldn't be surprised if Tim Russert didn't understand this before he asked Ron Paul about his voting record. I was surprised that he offered such an empty platitude about the principles of strict Constitutionalism. Paul doesn't take money from lobbyist or special interests, so there's no danger of him earmarking for the benefit of corrupt influences, which is really crux of the matter. The worst you can accuse Paul of is making the wrong choice, but you cannot conclude that it's a choice with a clear answer. Rusty Humphries should have also known better before he parroted Russert in Humphries' interview with Barry Goldwater Jr.
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Published: Monday, January 14, 2008
Last modified: Monday, January 14, 2008
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Reader Comments:
Posted By: Kevin Southwick
Date: 2008-01-14 22:16:18
Correction: Congressman Ron Paul's district, 14, was not hit by Hurricane Katrina, but by Hurricane Rita.