From World Magazine www.worldmag.com
THIS WEEK “Looking at India” December 09, 2006
Pork chops
Politics: Conservative Republicans block a last-minute spending binge by their own party Mark Bergin
With the balance of power in both chambers of Congress set to tip Democratic next month, Republicans have one last chance to wield their majority before at least two years of impotence. But GOP Sens. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Jim DeMint of South Carolina have forced the party to forfeit that opportunity, blocking the passage of pork-laden appropriations bills. In the name of fiscal conservatism, Coburn and DeMint would rather leave the 2007 federal budget in the hands of Democrats—a biting indictment of Republican spending habits.
“There are a lot of Democrats in the Senate and the House that ran on fiscal responsibility,” DeMint spokesman Wesley Denton told WORLD. “Let’s see if they’re going to walk the walk they talked about on the campaign trail. If they do, that’s wonderful.”
Critics consider that gamble foolish, a naïve bit of misplaced bipartisanship that will hand eager Democrats the chance to begin a reign of spending one year earlier than expected. But the Republican alternative, a slate of bills overflowing with nearly 10,000 earmarks, is no better. The Coburn-DeMint plan: a stopgap “continuing resolution” that will hold funding for programs at current levels until Democrats update the budget.
GOP appropriators decry the continuing resolution as a spoiler of Republican interests and a shirking of the congressional responsibility to pass a budget each year. Coburn, DeMint, and other fiscal conservatives respond with unyielding opposition to an earmark system run amok. Projects attached to the proposed spending bills include such pork as $300,000 for the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, $175,000 for the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, and millions more to fix ball fields, add traffic lights, and research the Alabama horn fly.
Eliminating such earmarks for a year would save $17 billion in federal funds, prudence Coburn believes the recent midterm elections demand. “This year, in particular, pork did not save our vulnerable incumbents but helped drag them down,” he said. “The challenges facing our country are too great and complex for members of Congress and their staff to continue to be distracted by endless earmarking.”
Coburn contends that the Democratic sweep on Election Day did not constitute a rejection of conservative values but just the opposite—a rejection of big-government Republicans who had abandoned the party’s core principles. Strong fiscal conservatives such as Sen. John Kyl in Arizona and Sen. John Ensign in Nevada cruised to easy victories while many GOP incumbents known for earmarking and spending binges suffered defeat.
Since 1998, Republicans have overseen a seven-fold increase in pork projects. Since 2001, the supposed party of limited government has increased domestic spending by almost 50 percent. More than an indictment of the Iraq war, Coburn views the election results as a collective cry of “Enough!”
While many Republicans have affirmed the party’s need to recapture its thrifty identity, the notion of passing “clean” appropriations bills without earmarks failed to garner much support. “We can’t wait until January when the Democrats are in charge and say, ‘Now we’re going to be virtuous,'” Denton said. “If we’re going to have any credibility going forward at all, it has to start now.”
Waiting until January to feign a change of heart would not only lack credibility but would give Democrats a chance to take the lead on earmark reform. Prominent Democratic leaders such as Illinois Sen. Barack Obama have taken strong stands against the lack of accountability within the burgeoning earmark system. Obama teamed with Coburn last year in support of a measure that will soon provide full disclosure of earmark spending in an easily accessible internet database.
Such bipartisanship reflects a common aim within both parties against Capitol Hill’s covert third party—appropriators. Though some left-leaning pundits have complained that the continuing resolution is merely a Republican ruse to bog down the Democratic legislature from enacting its agenda, others view it as a chance to quickly prove that Democrats will alter Washington’s corrupt culture. “Democrats may in fact spend less with their first set of appropriations bills than Republicans did,” Coburn spokesman John Hart told WORLD. “The appropriators are saying the Democrats will spend more, but the facts of history don’t necessarily suggest that.”
Copyright © 2006 WORLD MagazineDecember 09, 2006, Vol. 21, No. 47

On Monday I had a great time with the 3rd graders at Nevitt Forest Elementary School. Usually students can hurl the toughest questions, but I got lucky this time. I was able to answer all of their questions. I was really impressed with the students’ knowledge of government and their graciousness. Thanks to Ms. Lori Duffle for the invitation!

GOP wins by keeping on course
By KATON DAWSON Guest columnist (from the State 12.01.06)

The national elections on Nov. 7 were not particularly good to the Republican Party. Democrats will control a majority in both houses of Congress and a majority of governorships across the country. But while the national tide seemed to take a leftward turn, we in South Carolina succeeded on a course of conservative values.

In South Carolina we had historic victories. Gov. Mark Sanford was re-elected with the largest percentage of the vote of any candidate for governor or U.S. senator in our state in nearly a generation. Republicans swept every statewide office on the ballot, with only one exception, and that exception was the closest race in state history. We also retained our large majority in the state House of Representatives.

Why did Republicans do so well in South Carolina when our party did so poorly in most other states?

Many people deserve credit, from our thousands of dedicated grassroots volunteers to our local and county party organizations to our extremely generous donors, and most of all to our candidates themselves.

But there’s a larger message in our Republican success in South Carolina. That message is that this year South Carolina Republicans ran on the unabashedly conservative and reform agendas that are the hallmarks of our party’s successful history.

While too many Republicans around the country had to defend their records and appeared to many voters to have lost their direction, Republicans in South Carolina were able to campaign on their records of conservative accomplishments and platforms of limited government.

And while too many Republicans around the country had to try to answer for the excesses of the big-government, good ol’ boy system in Washington, Republicans in South Carolina were able to credibly make the case that we are the party of reform, ethics and optimism about the future.

Gov. Sanford deserves great credit for keeping the Republican Party a winner in South Carolina, despite the massive headwinds that we faced with the national tide this year.

With Mark Sanford at the top of the ticket, voters saw someone with a consistent record of fighting for limited government, lower taxes, less spending, education reform and a willingness to stand up to the special interests that for too long have had their way in state government.

One of the most ridiculously over-reported stories of this year was the “Republicans for Moore” effort. The election results offer conclusive proof that this tiny group of malcontents masquerading as “Republicans” had no significant support within our party, and had no impact whatsoever on the election. In Horry County, a widely but inaccurately reported hotbed of “Republicans for Moore,” Sanford increased his victory margin by a whopping 18 points. Overall, in Republican base counties, Sanford received 21 percent more votes than the typical Republican performance over the last several years.

But his victory was not limited to Republican strongholds. Sanford saw his voting percentage rise in eight counties with African-American majorities. In Marlboro County, Sanford gained almost 8 points above his 2002 performance.

As remarkable as the breadth of this victory was, it was not a solitary win for Mark Sanford. Gov. Sanford and his message helped our candidates at every level, and South Carolina Republicans won up and down the ticket.

What did South Carolina show the nation on Nov.7?

If Republicans stay true to the principles of our party — limited government, lower taxes, traditional values and embracing change rather than defending more of the same — we win. And we win not only among Republicans, but among Democrats and independents too. That’s a lesson that I hope will be learned by Republicans far beyond our state’s borders.

Mr. Dawson is the South Carolina Republican Party chairman.

Did anyone catch Wednesday night’s 20/20 report “Cheap in America”? It was by John Stossel on charitable giving. I learned some interesting observations:
1-Conservatives give more than Liberals
2-Religious people give 4 times more than non-Religious (even to non religious charities)
3-The US Government ranks lower than many other governments in aid, yet our citizens’ personal giving is much higher than citizens from other countries.Links to the stories:

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2682730&page=1

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2674158

Lecture: Conservative Values in American Society:
Former Senator Zell Miller (D-Ga) will focus on social issues including abortion and same-sex marriage. McAlister Auditorium. Mon. Dec. 4, 8 p.m. Free. Ticketed reception in Hartness Pavilion with the Senator at 6:30 p.m. $35 (includes reserved seating for lecture). Call 865 803 6666 for tickets. (Source – UPSTATE WEEKEND/November 24, 2006). Thank you to Tom McCall for sending me this information.