Chris_Sanders

So much for the fiscal conservative

900 million dollars to IMPORT oil to Iraq? $50,000 a bed prison?? Are you freaking kidding me?

Iraq spending effort vexing GOP lawmakers


Jonathan Weisman and Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post
Sept. 26, 2003 12:00 AM


WASHINGTON - A new curriculum for training an Iraqi army for $164 million. Five hundred experts, at $200,000 each, to investigate crimes against humanity. A witness-protection program for $200,000 per Iraqi participant. A computer study for the Iraqi postal service: $54 million.

Numbers like these, buried in President Bush's $20.3 billion request for Iraq's reconstruction, have made some congressional Republicans nervous, some even furious. And although the GOP leadership has tried to unite publicly around its president, some cracks are beginning to show.

"President Bush should live up to his recent pledges to restrain spending by ... taking a strong stance that the new Iraq can and should pay for its own reconstruction," Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Fla., a freshman, wrote in an editorial for the National Review co-authored by conservative economist Stephen Moore.

The discontent is relatively contained so far, said Jim Dyer, Republican staff director of the House Appropriations Committee, but that is because few members have read the proposal's fine print. As more details seep out, he said, anger is sure to rise.

Those details include $100 million to build seven planned communities with a total of 3,258 houses, plus roads, an elementary school, two high schools, a clinic, a place of worship and a market for each; $10 million to finance 100 prison-building experts for six months, at $100,000 an expert; 40 garbage trucks at $50,000 a piece; $900 million to import petroleum products such as kerosene and diesel to a country with the world's second-largest oil reserves, and $20 million for a four-week business course, at $10,000 per pupil.

"If the White House wants to be portrayed as spending tax dollars in Iraq as cost effectively as they spend (money) anywhere else, they're going to have to explain this," said Brian Reidl, a budget analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation.



In several closed meetings this week, Republicans questioned why the administration was piling more spending atop an ever-expanding federal deficit. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., a member of the House Appropriations Committee, plans to offer an amendment making the package a loan, a proposal the White House adamantly opposes.

Chris_Sanders

I am glad to see the conservatives stepping up here.

Someone needs to be accountable for kickback spending like this. It also irritates me that the Democrats didn't have the sense to go over this plan with a fine tooth comb.

schutd

Why do you call it kickback spending? I could see how one could construe that spending like this MIGHT be associated with returning political favors. But for all we know, its just a bad plan. Spenind like the stuff laid out in that article is WELL ABOVE AND BEYOND what I as a taxpayer feel is necessary in Iraq's reconstruction. We should be spending SOLELY so we can enable to Iraqis to finance their own reconstruction.

Get their money making resources back on line and work on VITAL infrastructure, needed immediately.

This is another example of why I would not vote for a secon Bush term.

How do some of our Bush supporters fel about this? I imagine you'd still vote Bush becasue you guys have had nothing good to day about the DEM candidates, but suppose someone would have stood up 6 months ago and announced a plan to oppose Bush in a Republican Primary. WOuld you staunch Bush supporters be interested in a different Pub candidate? Or do you still feel Bush is the right man for the job?

schutd

I also find it interesting to loo at popularity polls. I know they dont REALLY mean anything, but the percentage drop in Bush's popularity eerily resemble the drop his father saw after his GUlf War. Upwards of 80% immediately following the war, and less than 50% by the next election.

DO Pubs still see Bush as invincible next Nov?

Chris_Sanders

I call it kickback spending because it is exactly like the huge NO BID job that Cheney's company got for reconstruction in Iraq.

mattyboy

if these guys voted to allow this war to start they should at least stick around and make sure that the country that we just pummelled will be allowed to reconstruct. i was never for the war but since it has happened i think it is our duty to help rebuild the iraqi nation.

schutd

Certainly our responsibility to help. But NOT to spend outside of crucial infrastructure and industry reconstruction, so the country can rebuild itself. We're talking about the 2nd largest Oil reserve in the world here. Get that stuff pumping and back on the market, and Iraq can begin to take care of itself again.

We dont need to be spending millions IMPORTING our oil to Iraq as part of the reconstruction. We dont need to pay 10 grand a head for a 4 week training course. Its like spendind 5 bills for a toilet seat.

SirStefan32

Depends who the candidate is- if it's one of our Rino's (Republicans in name only) McCain, Specter, etc, the answer is Heck NO!

If a real conservative like Lott, Sentorum, or Delay ran, of course many Pub's would support them.
But you have to realize that running against Bush is a political suicide if you're a 'Pub.

__________________
"Don't try to threaten me Mulder! I've watched presidents die."

"If people would know the things I know, we'd all fall apart."

"Once again, tonight, the course of human history will be set by two unknown men standing in the shadows."

Cigarette Smoking Man

schutd

Sure it is. Unless the party itself deemed it necessary, which of course it would never do a year before a re-election bid. SO knowing that Bush is your choice for candidate... My point mostly is, would you still vote Bush even if you disagree with his policies, simply because he is a Republican rather than Democratic candidate?

SirStefan32

Barring a mirracle, I will not be able to vote untill 2008 election, but for the sake of the argument let's forget about that.

Would I vote for Bush because he is a Republican and not a Democrat? Not necessarily. I would vote for whoever has the same (or similar) set of beliefs.

None of the Democratic candidates come even close. As a matter of fact, most of their beliefs are polar opposites of my beliefs.

If Joe Liberman was the same Conservative Democrat that he was prior to late 90's, I would consider voting for him.

This election is about the lesser of two evils. 'Pub's are turning against Bush (from Lott and Santorum to Limbaugh) but it is too late.

Stefan

__________________
"Don't try to threaten me Mulder! I've watched presidents die."

"If people would know the things I know, we'd all fall apart."

"Once again, tonight, the course of human history will be set by two unknown men standing in the shadows."

Cigarette Smoking Man

Chris_Sanders

Sucks you won't be able to vote Stefan.

Too bad more Americans don't have your passion and desire to utilize their political voice.

SirStefan32

Well, I think a lot of people are not voting because the politicians have nothing to offer. It's the same story election after election.

They care about appealing to people to get the votes necessary for victory, perhaps return a few favors to generous contributors to their campaign. People no longer know what anybody really believes.

I think what we need is honest politicians who will tell us where they are, what they believe, where they stand on some issues.
If they do that, more people will take part in our political life. Untill then, 40% of our population will vote for what they perceive as a lesser of two evils.

Stefan

__________________
"Don't try to threaten me Mulder! I've watched presidents die."

"If people would know the things I know, we'd all fall apart."

"Once again, tonight, the course of human history will be set by two unknown men standing in the shadows."

Cigarette Smoking Man

SUTTILL

This is outrageous, and quite embarrassing stuff for the Bush administration. I'm sure that the Democrats in Congress won't have any problem with this.

DWKB

Please click on the "good Senator's" name

__________________
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