Bob Bennett must be really worried. In the past couple of weeks, a few people have come to RedState to defend Bob Bennett against our pointed criticisms of just how bad he is.
And if this is a defense of Bennett, Bennett is not defendable. A Senate staffer (or Senator?) using the name ecfinder writes:
Erickson, sometimes you make good points. But this one is not one of them. Why are you so against Bennett from Utah? Have you even ever been to Utah? Why do you have so much interest in a state you don’t even reside? I suggest before you actually make such ignorant comments, you actually come and check out the state itself. Utah is the state it is today because of Bennett. He has helped get funding for so many projects and improvements, that Utah would not be the state it is today without his great work in Congress. In fact, Utah would be in a pretty sad state without the work he has done. Try picking on someone from your own state.
So the defense of Bennett is that he’s a porker? That’s actually why so many people in Utah are upset with the guy. He has never met a pig whose bacon he did not want to take home.
But this is more troubling. “Utah would not be the state it is today without his great work in Congress.” So Bennett is the indispensable man? Really? The great people of Utah could not and would not have been able to make their state great, but for Bob Bennett?
That is just sad and pathetic.
But this gets better. A few weeks ago Hogan broke down just how bad Bennett’s health care plan is. The same user defended the Bennett plan writing, “I happen to think Bennett’s plan is brilliant and very much unlike what the democrats have offered. I might note that there are several other well-respected Republicans who happen to be co-sponsors of Bennett’s heatlh care bill. Clearly such distinguished individuals wouldn’t sign on to a bill that was unconstitutional.”
Except they did. Bennett’s health care plan clearly requires an individual mandate forcing Americans to buy health insurance. Bennett and his Republican co-sponsors voted last December 23rd that an individual mandate is unconstitutional. Nonetheless, not one of them has withdrawn from sponsoring Bennett’s legislation, which includes an individual mandate.
Now, I wonder which Senate staffer it was. And how do I know it was a Senate staffer? We here at RedState can trace the IP address, which goes right back to the United States Senate. The most recent comment actually comes from a Comcast IP address in Virginia.
Bob Bennett and his Senate buddies must be really worried to come here and defend him in indefensible ways.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Daniel Horowitz
Add clueless
JoeG Sunday, February 21st at 7:51PM EST (link)Redstate’s membership will think LESS of you if you talk about pork. If they don’t realize that, then they clearly are way out of touch.
Kowalski
JoeG Sunday, February 21st at 7:53PM EST (link)Hey ecfinder, polish your resume’. You’re going to be unemployed come January 2011.
If?
RedBeard Sunday, February 21st at 8:01PM EST (link)The entrenched politicians and their courts are usually out of touch.
I wonder how many senators and congresscritters actually live in the D.C. cocoon rather than in the states they’re supposed to be representing. One such person is one too many.
Standard-bearer for grouchy curmudgeonry since, oh, 1975 or so.
Senate staffer sock puppetry
RedBeard Sunday, February 21st at 7:56PM EST (link)Sad, really, to see such juvenile nonsense coming from such a once-dignified place. And that on top of being just plain wrong.
Standard-bearer for grouchy curmudgeonry since, oh, 1975 or so.
Actually, I Don't Have An Issue With Them Doing That...
IJB Sunday, February 21st at 8:33PM EST (link)…Provided that they are honest about who they are.
Oh, and that they actually have an argument to make in their boss’ defense.
If neither of those… well, then it’s just embarrassing.
Bob Bennett
eldstenorge Sunday, February 21st at 7:58PM EST (link)It is just that Bennett plain does not understand. He is, simply said, out of touch.
This is so utterly pathetic
mriggio (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 8:07PM EST (link)that I actually find myself embarrassed for ecfinder, IP address notwithstanding.
mriggio
SMSgt, USAF (Ret)
Precinct Committeeman (R)
Tazewell County, Illinois
Save the
CheerleaderParty, save the World! (Heroes, ed.)A telling example of the GOPs problems
Return to Revolution (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 8:20PM EST (link)-that the senators telling the teaparty to take a hike (Hatch) and championing big government (Bennett) are from one of the reddest states in the union
Out of hand Constitutional fetishist
Utah
eldstenorge Sunday, February 21st at 8:29PM EST (link)And, we are embarrassed about it here in Utah. We are working on it.
Congressman Chafferz
wgsampson Sunday, February 21st at 10:41PM EST (link)impressed me in an interview on one network over the weekend. He is a freshman and he turned down earmarks. He also told off a senator who told him that he wasn’t doing his job by not bringing home the bacon. I don’t know much about him, but I like what he said and he said it well on camera. Could he take Hatch’s spot in a couple years?
I hope I speled his name right.
Jason Chaffetz, UT-3
Return to Revolution (Diary) Monday, February 22nd at 7:06AM EST (link)I don’t know that much about him except that he’s been on Beck’s show before-seems pretty solid.
I think as folks wake up to what the GOP has become, states like UT will be among the first to take out the trash. Utah’s three districts are R+21, R+15, R+26 (Jim Matheson, you are on notice).
Out of hand Constitutional fetishist
This is a good thing
jmimac351 Sunday, February 21st at 8:32PM EST (link)because it helps shine a bright light on Bob Bennett. Too often these people have been flying under the radar and not enough people are aware of how bad they are for what we believe in.
Erick, you haven’t seen any IPs tracing back to the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee, FL have ya?
Any Republican...
fmaidment (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 8:33PM EST (link)…who is defending “Big Government” conservatism is a Republican who should be looking for a new job.
Seriously, this is equivalent to a Democrat going to Kos to defend cutting Welfare and taxes.
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“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.”
– - Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
Curious, Erick...
rbdwiggins (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 8:57PM EST (link)Was/Is there specific purpose in disclosing an obvious tactical advantage?
“Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn’t so.” – Ronald Reagan
Where is the advantage
jmimac351 Sunday, February 21st at 9:29PM EST (link)in just knowing where this stuff is coming from and not acting on it? Would it not be better to call them out so it stops and keeps others from trying it under the guise of “anonymous conservative supporter”? If they want to post in an official capacity I’m sure it would be welcomed, so the light shines even brighter – both good and bad, as appropriate.
I said nothing about "not acting on it"...
rbdwiggins (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 10:27PM EST (link)The obvious advantage is the number of available options that stem from knowing what they do not.
“Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn’t so.” – Ronald Reagan
I DONT LIVE IN UTAH AND I'M ANGRY THAT BENNETT SPENDS MY MONEY
6eorge Jetson (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 9:01PM EST (link)Period.
I agree that Bennett is a pork seeker but
partyof1 Sunday, February 21st at 9:23PM EST (link)What congressman isn’t? Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Libertarians. They all buy votes with federal money and generally do their best to bring home the bacon. This is what our system has devolved to. Even Ron Paul takes the dime, he calls it a “tax refund” for his state.
Am I wrong?
Does that mean we should condone it? nt
Vegas_Rick (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 9:39PM EST (link)“God is great, beer is good and people are crazy.”- Billy Currington
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Calvin Coolidge.
No not condone it,
partyof1 Sunday, February 21st at 10:43PM EST (link)We The People should condemn overspending and pork in our own Congressmen, not just the other guy’s state. And stop voting for whoever promises the most bacon from Washington.
The issue with Bennett is not "pork".
mbecker908 (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 9:45PM EST (link)It’s everything else. Pork is just a freebie.
The problem with pork is not obvious
Beaglescout (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 9:56PM EST (link)The legislature is *supposed* to legislate how money is spent. The problem with pork is when a legislator is offered a pricey earmark for his district or state in order to vote yes on the bill. When used like this the earmark becomes a bribe for the legislator’s yes vote, and the end result of all these bribes is the massive increase of spending.
The problem is obvious enough and the results fiscally ruinous enough that there should be a remedy. Perhaps if an earmark is made part of a bill then any legislator’s districts or states that are specific beneficiaries of the bill should force the legislator to recuse himself from voting on the bill, under penalty of a federal bribery charge? With a standard 7 year statute of limitations, this gives plenty of time to prosecute those who give and take bribes.
“A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.”
The fact is ....
Bobcat51 Sunday, February 21st at 10:23PM EST (link)no matter who wants some …..there is no pork left on the poor pig !
The left wing intent is to destroy the existing society and replace it with a society of its own design.
Yes that is correct
partyof1 Sunday, February 21st at 10:40PM EST (link)Legislators are supposed to decide how money is spent. But they have proven that they cannot do this because our national debt is epic and deficits are persistent. I don’t think Congressmen should recuse themselves from votes that benefit their states, we need to preserve representation.
What’s needed is a balanced budget amendment. Practically it would prevent Congress from overspending. Politically it would give them an “out”. Metaphorically it would be like a diaper on a 10 year old that never learned potty training. Sad but necessary.
Nope. A balanced budget amendment is just
mbecker908 (Diary) Monday, February 22nd at 7:42AM EST (link)a ticket for Congress to “have to” raise taxes and to “have to” slash defense spending. Or raise tariffs. They won’t do the right thing and abolish the Department of Education and a BB amendment would just just give them cover. It also would not force their hand on Social Security or Medicare.
Example: city tax receipts are down big time in Phoenix. The first proposal to hit the street was a 12% reduction in cops and fire fighters.
Oh, and to Kowalski...
mbecker908 (Diary) Monday, February 22nd at 7:43AM EST (link)I believe California has a constitutional requirement for a balanced budget as does New York.
It's true that
partyof1 Monday, February 22nd at 9:50AM EST (link)California does its best to flout the state balanced budget amendment, with “IOU”‘s to banks, but at least it also requires painful steps like cutting the school year length, letting prisoners out early ect., sure these things are absurd, but at least it makes it hard for them to run in the red, and much of the consequences of overspending and undersaving are immediate and endured by the current generation, not the future.
Also, the U.S. constitution is generally more revered than state ones. Even if it’s not a perfect solution, it would at least be something. A stick to beat the Spenders with if nothing else.
When the pain of deficits has to be endured today, not by the future, maybe The People will take a good, hard look at what we’re spending on.
No. No. No. A balanced budget amendment is
mbecker908 (Diary) Monday, February 22nd at 3:10PM EST (link)perhaps the worst idea EVER to come across the transom. It makes Prohibition look really good in comparison. As a matter of fact that is a very apt analogy. Pass a Constitutional Amendment outlawing the sale of booze and people will stop drinking. Pass a Constitutional Amendment outlawing government from spending more than they take in and they’ll cut spending.
I’ve got a good deal on a bridge for you.
BBA doesn't work
aesthete (Diary) Monday, February 22nd at 3:33PM EST (link)but there are some legislative alternatives that could work reasonably well at curbing spending. The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act, while flawed, did have the right idea, and I think that something like it could help curb government spend
Personally, my biggest problem with a BBA is that, due to the fact that it would have to have broad political appeal, it would have to be very simple and broad itself, and wouldn’t be able to specify which types of spending to cut, in the case of a “disbalance”. I would have no problem cutting large parts of the domestic budget, for instance, and even large parts of what is allocated to the military (there are plenty of pencil-pushers and lachrymose bureaucracies that we could do without). However, I can too easily see the situation wherein craven politicians cut truly important spending (i.e, body armor for troops) simply to meet a somewhat arbitrary cut-off point. Legislative acts would be more complex, would allow for specificity in fund allocation and cuts, and would be more easily amended. Sure, repeal is always possible in such circumstances, but such a repeal would hopefully be a big deal, politically speaking, and somewhat risky.
My “best of both worlds” scenario would be a less stringent BBA that would specify that Congress make laws that would ensure that the budget remain balanced over the course of a business cycle, but that would leave any specifics up to Congress.
The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice – G.K. Chesterton
Pork is a Freebie????
jnoeagle Monday, March 1st at 7:06PM EST (link)I never knew that Pork and Liberty were opposites. Liberty is not free and Pork is free! Wow!
Why can’t we set up some kind of procedure or system that reviews what a Congresscritter actually does – in specific detail and compared to what was earlier spoken or promised? Something like the CBO, except farther removed from political control. Is there a University somewhere (Harrod – remember that one?) that has not been captured by the leftist elites OR the rightist elites? Maybe an honest billionaire (an oxymoron?) could fund an institute headed by someone like Tom Sowell. Dedicated to honesty, actual fair dealing and visibility in the legislative, judicial and executive branches.
I agree that Libeerty is not free. Jefferson said it earlier.
Are staffers a big part of the problem?
Stan(ley) Pruss (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 9:23PM EST (link)Congressional staffers live in the DC area. They may not be motivated by anything more than go along to get along. Achance points out how often staffers left over from a previouse administration undercut their new boss because they don’t believe in the principles he espoused in getting elected.
It's the Blackbird Theory of Government.
Achance (Diary) Tuesday, March 2nd at 11:28AM EST (link)Many of you are familiar with how thousands of black birds, usually starlings, love to congregate in the big old trees on the courthouse square in small towns all across the US. Every so often people get tired of all the noise and bird crap and the town cop comes out with his shotgun and fires it up into the trees. The birds explode into the sky except a few fall to the ground dead. The rest swirl around long enough to give the impression that they’ve left the courthouse square. But before long, all that lived are back; maybe on a different limb or in a different tree, but they’ll all be back in the trees on the courthouse square. Visualize appointees and staffers as those starlings. A few fall to the ground dead after an election but most wind up right back in the trees on the courthouse square.
In Vino Veritas
Bennett voted for Cass Sunstein! Boot Him in 2010!
mikenad (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 9:29PM EST (link)I can’t stand the entitled Bob Bennett.Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe are in Blue State Maine that is their excuse, Bob Bennett is in the most Republican state in the country. Bob Bennett is out of excuses and hopefully out of the Senate. His vote for Cass Sunstein should be a career ender!
CASS SUNSTEIN, the worst confirmed czar! Glenn Beck should profile Bob Bennett, he is worse than Lindsey Graham! Bennett should go and so should Orrin Hatch! Hatch used to be a great Senator and should hang it up in 2012! Hatch has been in D.C. too long.I would love to see Senator Jason Chaffetz R-UT in 2010 or even 2012! Chaffetz would be as good as DeMint and Coburn! Did I Mention Sunstein! Bye Bye Bobby!
Reason enough to give him the boot, IMHO. nt
Vegas_Rick (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 9:41PM EST (link)“God is great, beer is good and people are crazy.”- Billy Currington
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Calvin Coolidge.
This is hilarious.
utah_liberty Sunday, February 21st at 9:39PM EST (link)Bob Bennett is running scared.
And who is he scared of?
Well, which of his challengers does he talk about the most? Mike Lee. At the debates, he’s always going after Mike — a clearly signal that he fears losing to him.
And lose he will, come the May convention. Mike’s going to take it. And we’ll finally have a Senator who understands and upholds the Constitution.
ecfinder read wapo
tngal (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 9:47PM EST (link)Michael G. Waddoups (president of the Utah Senate) and David Clark (speaker of the Utah House of Reps) offer an interesting article in Wahington Post entitled “A modest proposal to the federal government: Let Utah do it”, whereby the state becomes a petri dish of sorts in an experiment.They contend the feds can’t handle everything, healthcare, the environment, roads, etc..and offer up this solution.
“Let’s select a few programs — say, education, transportation and Medicaid — that are managed mostly by Utah’s government, but with significant federal dollars and a plethora of onerous federal interventions and regulations.
Let Utah take over these programs entirely”
The authors further outline how the money (taxes) will be handled and acknowledge Utah will get the short end of the stick for awhile but say the state can manage the funds and programs better than the state. it is a great and thought provoking read.
Course, if it turns out to be true there would be less work for the feds. Less government. Less control. hmmm. yes I can see see where the fed might not like this idea.
I like this idea
Beaglescout (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 10:00PM EST (link)Mississippi’s situation is similar to Utah’s. But federal control of education, medicaire, medicaid, and transportation have proved to be ruinous. I’m sure that the savings in education and medicaid alone would improve service and lower the tax burden.
“A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.”
It seems like it...
tngal (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 10:07PM EST (link)Beasley. when I read the argument it made sense to me. Somehow the math involved them keeping the tax money they would send to the feds to use in programs they picked out. They knew they would end up having to pay for for current debt but they really tried to figure out the math. The red tape quotient alone at the federal level would save serious cash.
Its almost as if these two guys are not from the same state as Bennett.
"Its almost as if these two guys are not from...
69Vette Monday, February 22nd at 12:06PM EST (link)the same state as Bennett.”
They’re not. Bennett and Hatch are creatures of Washington. They may have, at one time, been typical Utah residents in outlook and politics, but that time is LONG past, as is their usefulness.
Bob Bennett is really worried. Good!
acat (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 10:15PM EST (link)I’m in Illinois. Bennett does not represent Illinois – however, policies Bennett puts forth affect me, just as policies Burris and Durbin put forth affect Utah residents.
Mew
——
“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost”. –Tolkein
Like accepting nuclear waste
hickorystick (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 10:48PM EST (link)The Utah Boys always have their hand out when the Feds are handing out money, But when it comes to doing something for the country, like allowing the Yucca Mts. to be used to store nuclear waste, they say “not I”, were independant.
Umm, Yucca is in Nevada
acat (Diary) Monday, February 22nd at 9:12AM EST (link)not Utah. For that, you want to rant about Harry Reid.
Every state has its’ share (and some more than their share) of people looking for a handout.
What I’m looking at is whether the leadership is pandering to this drain, or are looking for ways to replace the handout with the hand up.
Bennett is in the handout category, and can be replaced (easily) by someone in the hand-up category.
Mew
——
“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost”. –Tolkein
oops
hickorystick (Diary) Monday, February 22nd at 3:04PM EST (link)my bad on the geography. Your right on the handout business too. If your hand-up involves cash from the Fed though, I can’t go along with that. My state, Washington, is paying for it’s own retrofitting of roads for earthquakes and expanded traffic, and doing as well as anybody. Patty Murray on the other hand, uses her position to wrench 350 million from the Federal Treasury, for a one mile stretch of road off of I-5 called the Mercer Street exit. Really irritating.
In the past we have accepted federal resources (cash) to build dams across the rivers. The electricity has been used to power the region, and create resevores for water for farming. Which in turn created taxable profit. Using tax schemes to channel money to social programs and Unions is really irritating, and a abuse of our ‘Federal Union’.
They give us lots of Federal Money!
anotherindyfilmguy (Diary) Sunday, February 21st at 11:08PM EST (link)Which they should never have had to give out in the first place…
When folks realize they can vote themselves the treasury we are doomed…
Santorum? Well, at least he’s not Romney…
http://www.zazzle.com/enemy_of_the_statist_tshirt-235977043035297478
On The Run
saintgeorgegentile Monday, February 22nd at 12:30AM EST (link)Last Saturday (Feb 13th) after the annual Lincoln Day breakfast in St. George there was a meet the candidates get together. After initially saying he would attend Bennett canceled claiming some sort of scheduling conflict. We’ll tune him up first, then Hatch!
Story at The Spectrum:
http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20102140322
Freedom is the glue of capitalism, that amoral wisdom of the markets that most efficiently allots goods and services to a citizenry.
-Victor Davis Hanson
Well how happy am I that I SLAPPED about the head.....
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Monday, February 22nd at 5:34AM EST (link)a Bennett staffer then
The thing that immediately stuck out for me was the “he is not your Senator and you don’t live here” I despise that CRAP because everyone of these Senators affects each and every American and it is our DUTY to pay attention to them ALL!
Good catch Mr. Erickson and it appears these staffers are too involved to the effect of writing the policies instead of just pushing paper. I believe the KKK member from W VA is proof of how the staffers are the unelected officials writing BAD LAW for our country! It behooves US to send them home along with their bosses to think about the un-Constitutional laws they keep putting on the backs of Americans!
Unified Patriots – How-To:
Activists Taking Action
You say "Helped get funding"...
wtpct Monday, February 22nd at 7:11AM EST (link)I hear ” That funding came out of my pocket ! Touting someone’s spending habits will only get them booted this election. They just don’t get it.
Hatch and Bennet
sara123 Monday, February 22nd at 9:31AM EST (link)If Bennet’s staff is overly aggressive, this might explain our elderly Hatch’s increased pork tolerance and Leftist view of the tea party. I wonder if Hatch’s staff has been infiltrated by leftists?
It would be a useful exercise to research the major staffers of the Rinos in the Senate. Hatch, for instance, only knows what he’s told by his staffers in the bubble about American life outside DC.
I'm a Utah resident...
69Vette Monday, February 22nd at 12:01PM EST (link)And I’d just as soon see both of our useless Senator’s replaced. They’ve both been in Washington too long and are more interested in playing the game there than in representing their constituents. Hatch and Bennett both need put out to pasture!
Mike Lee was ordained of God to save the Constitution in the Latter Days
charlierider Monday, February 22nd at 3:17PM EST (link)Bob Bennett has bought into Satan’s lies that are as old as the Grand Council in Heaven.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught us that one day, the Constitution would hang by a thread. Mike Lee was raised up by prophets to be the man who would save our nation from those who would defile it. (Bob Bennett and Muslim Obama.)
This blog does God’s labors and will be blessed for such.
G'bye
Neil Stevens (Diary) Monday, February 22nd at 3:24PM EST (link)I have no idea what candidate really sent you, though.
RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
Or which spiritual entity ^_^ nt
aesthete (Diary) Monday, February 22nd at 3:35PM EST (link)The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice – G.K. Chesterton
Like a senate staffer
ruascott1 Monday, February 22nd at 3:27PM EST (link)really cares what the 100 or so people that troll around on this site think. CPAC wasn’t even taken seriously this year with Ron Paul winning the straw poll.
Swing and a miss .... strike out!
acat (Diary) Tuesday, March 2nd at 11:15AM EST (link)Winning the CPAC straw poll has never been a good predictor – Romney won it several years running and, as you may have noticed, has never been the nominee. Those who know how CPAC works indicate the straw poll was stacked by Paul-supporters this year. Romney, by the way, came in second.
Mew
——
“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost”. –Tolkein
Like a senate staffer
ruascott1 Monday, February 22nd at 3:27PM EST (link)really cares what the 100 or so people that troll around on this site think. CPAC wasn’t even taken seriously this year with Ron Paul winning the straw poll.