Larry Schumacher has an excellent article in the St. Cloud Times today describing the nonsensical reasoning behind Michele Bachmann refusing to support earmarking money to help with the recently shut down DeSoto Bridge.
Important Quotes:
“She says she wants to look out for the people in her district, but if she’s not going to support our earmarks, we’re going to lose out,” said Kroll, who described himself as “not satisfied” with her position.
“If we get any (federal) money for the DeSoto Bridge, it’s got to be earmarked,” said Teresa Bohnen, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce president. Bohnen attended Thursday’s meeting with Bachmann.
“If (Bachmann) removes herself from the earmark process now, before there’s a better system in place, it seems like there’s going to be an opportunity cost to the district. We’re going to lose out on our own tax dollars. They’re going to go somewhere else.”
Bachmann may just rue the day that she decided on a "No Earmarks Pledge" as people in the area will begin to see her for what she is, a rigid ideologue with little interest in helping the constituents she serves. Check out story chat as it appears as though, in amongst the usual apologists, there are some folks who normally support Representative Bachmann having second thoughts. As I have detailed earlier (here and here), there is a fair amount of hypocrisy in the new found aversion Republicans have for earmarks. There is also a wonderful critique written back in August over at Bluestem Prairie of congressional earmarking.
Cross Posted on Dump Bachmann
