Democratic Leaders Turning On Each Other

[duane1969]

In his SOTU speech Obama promised to veto any bill that contains earmarks. Apparently Harry Reid didn't like it...

Dismissing President Barack Obama's opposition to earmarks as "an applause line," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told NBC News on Wednesday that the president should "back off" and let lawmakers continue to direct spending to their home districts.

Asked during a one-on-one interview with NBC whether Obama was wrong to promise a veto on any bill that contains earmarks, Reid quickly replied, "of course."

"This is an applause line," Reid said. "It's an effort by the White House to get more power. They've got enough power as it is."

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news...marks-back-off

[elocin]

There will always be some form of earmarks thrown in. That term has become a talking point and is actually a very small percentage of the deficit.

[duane1969]

I agree. I just think it is interesting that two of the top 3 Dem party leaders are essentially at odds over spending. Obama has been a spend, spend, spend type of guy for 2 years and now suddenly he is going against his party's status quo and getting flak from Reid for it.

[elocin]

Spend, spend, spend?
For the sake of the argument lets say there was no bail out for the banks or the auto industry....... What would the state of our economy be right now?

Had the car industry collapsed everyone in this nation would have been affected. I dont even want to think about the banks failing.... Two wars will do that to a country that outsources almost everything.

True some have paid the money and some havent and the deficit is bigger but Bush is the one who initiated the bailouts and although I hate to admit.... They were necessary. All the money will eventually be recouped.

Thats not my beef with Obama... Im more concerned with things like the patriot act, banning machine guns etc... The truth of the matter is if the budget is cut in areas like education, the arts, infrastructure etc America will continue to slip in every single category. Education, sciences and everything else.

I dont have answers but a complete freeze is plain stupid. This country has lost enough of its glory. We need to educate our youth.