GOP Plans to Police Stimulus Fraud, Earmark Requests
Republicans plan to hammer the Democrats and make spending an issue in 2010 congressional elections
As House and Senate Republicans return to their low-tax and limited-spending roots, top officials say that they will be shining a spotlight on big taxes, congressional earmarks, and stimulus spending fraud through the next election in 2010. These are issues they hope to use to hammer Democrats. "We'll have an opportunity to talk about this for the next 18 months," said House Minority Leader John Boehner.
He even suggested that before the money is spent, "a lot more Americans won't be happy with it."
The GOP effort began today when Boehner's communications chief E-mailed a Boston Globe story detailing earmarks requested by Massachusetts members. And other GOP aides said that they have been tasked to keep tabs in the local press on spending misuses in the stimulus and Democratic tax plans.
Democrats, meanwhile, say that they are also getting ready for potentially bad stories about stimulus spending, one reason why they have lined up behind President Obama's stern demand that state, county, and local authorities spend frugally and legally.
- Read more on Stimulus Watch.
Reader Comments
Where's the money going?
I didn't hear the Republicans who backed Bush's $780 Billion give away with no strings attached and absolutely no oversight complain about fraud then. Now that Obama is President, the elephants want to stomp all over the new bailout plan so the Demos can look like asses. However, we should and should have had accountability from the beginning - but it's still not too late to keep the cheaters in line... let's put some high profile bankers in prison (not house arrest in their mansions or penthouses like Madoff who made off with $50 Billion) - that will get Wallstreet's attention and restore public confidence in the integrity and honesty that is required of the banking system.
stimulus
I would like to know how all this is supposed to put people back to work. After all the people are the ones who buy products and make the economy move. They are the ones who need a STIMULUS NOT the rich bankers
GOP oversight?
The problem is that people struggle with the definitions.
If spending targets my state or congressional district, it's 'stimulus'. If it's in yours, it's 'pork'. If it helps me, it's 'infrastructure'. If it helps you, it's an 'earmark'.
Anyone that pretends it's more complicated than that is lying to himself.
The notion that the Republ-I-can'ts have any credibility in this after the last 8 years is laughable.
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