The GOP has suddenly emerged as the anti-pork party despite years of defending pork from people like Sen. Ted Stevens and others. However, they have a good case to make with the Democratic stimulus package and planned legislation, which is allegedly loaded with pork including a Mob Museum for Majority Leader Harry Reid’s state of Nevada. The fact is that both parties are flagrant hypocrites on earmarks and pork. The future does not look good with Barack Obama’s appointment of Rep. Ray LaHood as Transportation Secretary. LaHood was viewed as one of the greatest defenders of pork and a symbol of earmark abuse.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Minority leader in the Senate, has singled out the mob museum as an example of Democratic pork. Reid had promised that there would be no earmarks in the stimulus package but Reid’s spokesman repeatedly refused to guarantee that the mob museum would not get stimulus money. Indeed, as of January 18th, the mob museum was still in the stimulus package.
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has called for stimulus money for the mob museum — part of the “skim” from the stimulus. Reid it appears is viewed as a real ” big earner” and a “stand up guy” for the mob museum. These new found reformers may want to watch out when, as The Soprano’s Mikey Palmice said, they “ain’t respectin’ old arrangements.”
For the full story, click here.
President-elect Obama has stated his opposition to pork being added to the stimulus package. Let’s hope he can and does succeed. That would be a nice start to seeing change we can believe in.
I must admit, however, that as a student of the subject, I’d be interested in seeing it built. It might well be an interesting Las Vegas attraction, but I don’t see how it requires or deserves federal (versus private) money to be built.
if they really need a mob museum let the money come from private sources.
i’m tired of mobsters being elevated to mythic standards.
I’m all for a mob museum. However, it ought to be located in the Capitol building, where congress meets. Congress represents the biggest mod in our country’s history.