Eight Senators Target Themselves : The Earmark Vote

When the Senate voted on the question of whether or not to ban earmarks, the earmarks won...in part because eight Republican Senators voted to keep the corrupt practice going. If all eight deaf legislators had voted for the ban, it still would have failed--the tally was 56 to 39 with 5 ducking the issue entirely. It would have failed, but not by much: That eight-vote swing would have produced a 48 to 47 vote.

Why do I say those guys are deaf? Hey, they obviously didn't hear the American people's voice on November 2nd, and the people were loud.

No, the Earmark Eight decided, instead, to form yet another we-don't-care-y'all club...and they'll feel the business end of that club eventually. Not all of 'em in 2012; they don't all come up for reelection then. But when they do.... To help make sure they get the boot in the patoot, this hub is going to identify the EE dudes and dudettes, complete with photos and a little something else to remember them by. In effect, these "arrogant 8" legislators have just popped the political version of cyanide pills into their own greedy mouths...and we need to make sure they remember to swallow.

This may get to be a lo-ong page. It may take till past daylight to complete. But, once finished,  it'll be there for years, available as a definitive online reference point for all of us.

First up on the Traitors' Wall, complete with probable reelection campaign year:

EE#1: Lisa Murkowski, Alaska..........2016

Murkowski is already well known for ignoring the will of the people, refusing to accept the verdict when she lost the Alaska primary to Joe Miller. Generally considered a RINO and a lifetime Sarah Palin enemy, she claims she only wants "Alaska's fair share" of earmark money.  You may have noted that this is lib-speak; it's the left that constantly rants about "fairness" and "social justice", meaning (in effect) the theft of ever more tax dollars from thee and me.

EE#2: Richard Shelby, Alabama...........2016

This dude wasn't even a Republican until 1994, when he officially stopped being a Democrat. Beating him may prove a bit of a challenge; he hasn't  been seriously opposed in any election so far. Like Murkowski, he may figure he's "safe" from voter reprisal because of having six long years until he has to run again, but guess what? Six years isn't really that long...and he's wrong.

 EE#3:  Bob Bennett, Utah.....DEFEATED IN THE 2010 UTAH PRIMARY!

Okay, so he's not just an LDS kind of guy, he's also LDO (Lame Duck and Out).  Which means we already beat him this year.  Cool.  We the People took down a dude with 18 years in the Senate.  One down, seven to go. 

 EE#4:  Thad Cochran, Mississippi..................2014

A Senator since 1978, this man is the "incumbent's incumbent".  He's considered to be quietly effective...especially in persuading Congress to spend money.  He's considered "moderate" (meaning a fair bit taxy-spendy) enough to be vulnerable in the 2014 primary...if Mississippi can sprout a candidate as qualified as, say, Arizona's Ruth McClung proved herself to be in her 2010 run at Raul Grijalva.

EE#5: Susan Collins, Maine..................2014

A (gag! barf!) "moderate Republican" ala Olympia Snowe, Collins has "reached across the aisle" to do such things as vote for Clinton's acquittal (you know, the Monica Lewinsky, etc., thing) and vote against a partial-birth abortion ban.  She could have been a Caribou Barbie (having been born in Caribou, Maine) long before Sarah Palin burst onto the national scene, but 'twas not to be.

EE#6: James Inhofe, Oklahoma....................2014

Inhofe actually has a strongly conservative record in the Senate, the lone exception appearing to be the subject of earmarks.  He sponsored (or at least co-sponsored) a full 95 earmarks in fiscal 2009 alone at a cost total of $151 (and a half) million.  That puts him in the middle of the pack for Senators as a group, but his "No" vote on the earmarks ban puts an Earmark Eight target squarely on his back.

George Voinovich, Ohio..........ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT CLEAR BACK IN JANUARY OF 2009.

Another Lame Duck and Out! True, it was apparently fear of a tough challenge from any old generic Democrat that helped him reach that decision, but Out is Out. We'll take it. TWO down, six to go.

Dick Lugar, Indiana.........................2012

Whoa!  Not only does Mr. Lugar have to run for reelection in 2012, and not only is he the only such Senator to vote against the earmarks ban, but he's got a voting record any Republican should politically die for.  He's all for gun control, including Barbara Boxer's "trigger lock amendment", and actually gave Obama an "A" on foreign policy. 

Obama.  An "A".  On foreign policy.

Golly gee whiz, Mr. Dick, Sir, can you maybe guess who We the People might be focusing on as one of our key targets less than two years from now?  Huh?  Can ya?  Huh?

In closing, a quick recap:

1. With both Bob Bennett and George Voinovich being limping quackers, the Earmark Eight will soon be the Earmark Six. Yay rah!

2. The most obviously vulnerable Senator who voted to keep earmarks, i.e. Dick Lugar, is also the only Markaholic facing reelection in 2012. He doesn't seem attuned enough to hear those thundering hooves...but we are, and we'll get 'im.

3. The rest of the group tend to be (a) definitely to the left of conservative and (b) can't be ousted for a few years yet. We'll keep an eye on them anyway, though.

In the meantime, I've got a hub to write...featuring Senator Dick Lugar, Obama's punch-drunk buddy.