Sen. Norm Coleman’s thoughts on the 2008 races reveal a problem with the GOP’s stance on spending
Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) just finished a conference call with bloggers in which he lambasted the budget recently proposed by Senate Democrats. “You cannot tax and spend your way out of a recession,” he said, adding that he particularly deplored the fact that it did not include an extension of the Bush tax cuts set to expire in 2010. He essentially said that the Democrats’ fiscal ideas are out of touch with reality and worried allowed about increasing the budget deficit.
He also commented on the GOP’s special election loss of the Illinois seat once belonging to Dennis Hastert, the former Republican Speaker of the House. Coleman said there are certain lessons the GOP could learn as it prepares for a tough election year, and specifically touched on the issue of spending and earmarks. While noting that “all earmarks are not evil,” Coleman said that what is needed is real transparency and accountability. Noting that he posts his earmarks on his website, he said that this same openness is needed throughout Congress and should be required.
While I agree that would be better than the current situation, it appears that the economy is going to be a central issue, if not the issue, come November 5th, 2008. And when voters go to the polls that day, are they going to be inspired by what is quite honestly only another call for “transparency” among many from both parties? When it comes to addressing the fiscal sins committed by Congress, both by Republicans and Democrats, will it work to simply continue repeating the same thing we have been saying for a while now? I think not.
How is it going to be enough for Republicans trying to prove they are the real party of change and reform and transparency to hold the bland position that “all earmarks are not evil”? Right now, all three presidential candidates/Senators–McCain, Obama, and Clinton–all support the moratorium on pork being pushed by Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC). How will voters distinguish between election posturing and real reform? Right now, it doesn’t seem that either party is really ready to do what needs to be done.
When both parties are talking about transparency, will there be enough of a distinction for the American people to recognize? When the waters are so muddied how can Republicans try to highlight such small differences between their occasional attempts at fiscal responsibility and the Democrat’s unbridled tax and spend policy? The transparency Coleman speaks of may be a noble proposition, but it simply is not a bold enough stand for a party poised to slip even farther into the minority in November if no clear change is evident. And let’s be honest: with congressional approval ratings at their lowest ever, we don’t need Obama’s rally chants as a clue to what voters truly want.
Speaking of those chants, Coleman identified the Obama fervor appropriately, calling it a a “sugar high.” The key question is, how long will it last? If the Democratic race isn’t wrapped up until their convention in late August, it shouldn’t be too hard to keep it rolling for two more months afterwards if he does indeed clinch the nomination.
As far as his own race is concerned, Coleman is now almost assuredly facing Iraq War tap dancer Al Franken after the other realistically potential Democratic challenger, Mike Ciresi, dropped out. On the conference call, Coleman said Franken simply repeated “what he thought people wanted to hear” in regards to the war, and hasn’t done “a single act” to help Minnesota. In a slap at Franken’s profession as a “shock jock,” Senator Coleman admitted that the race would have been much more substantitive with Ciresi as the challanger. He better hope he can exploit Franken’s paper thin qualifications. Last May Franken trailed Coleman by 22 points in preliminary polling; today Franken is slightly ahead.
BTW: Senator Coleman defended the idea of “legitimate” earmarks by citing the fact that the Constitution gives the power of the purse to Congress. If you are partial to such a view, read this account by Representative Davy Crockett regarding the practice of federal appropriations and tell me if you still agree.
UPDATE 03/12: Harry Reid makes a fool of himself (again) by saying the Founding Fathers would be “cringing to hear people talking about eliminating earmarks.” Really, Senator? I’m cringing listening to you butcher recalling elementary American history.
