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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010
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 ANALYSIS 
2

Dems Shrug Off Obama's Call to Battle Earmarks

'Faceless bureaucrats' shouldn't guide funds: Reid

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(Newser) – Leading Democratic lawmakers didn't welcome President Obama’s call to jettison budget earmarks, suggesting that as elected officials, they should control where funds are headed, the Hill reports. “We cannot let spending be done by a bunch of nameless, faceless bureaucrats,” Harry Reid said yesterday. Obama pointed to earmarks as a roadblock in fixing the deficit in his Tuesday speech, but the new budget contains thousands.

The president doesn't have a line-item veto, but "I can assure you he'd love to take that for a test drive," press secretary Robert Gibbs said. Obama “wants all the money to go to the agencies, and then the agencies earmark the funding,” said a Democratic senator, who noted Congress is shrinking earmark spending. “Every president prefers to have Congress eliminated from earmarks so that he can do it in their place,” said a Republican senator.

President Barack Obama addresses a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009.
President Barack Obama addresses a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009.   (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid arrives in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009, to address a joint session of Congress.
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid arrives in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009, to address a joint session of Congress.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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riffran
Feb 27, 09 4:45 AM CST
Like congress has been doing a great job so far.....a line item veto?......yeah I like it....and if it gets public transparency to where OUR money is going....hell yeah, .....Ive always hated "riders" being attached to a bill as a bargaining chip in order to appease whatever schmo is balking the vote and swing them over....it seems just crooked........AND......it would put the responsibility to a face....not just "congress" doing it...so if B.O got the line item veto started...the prez, whomever it may be would be held accountable for what comes out if its a bad choice, and directly recognized if a good choice.....Maybe it would prevent BS like spending 3.4 million to study the mating habits of some jungle ant half a world away, or the effect of snapping your fingers on the flight patterns of sparrows..lol (paraphrased) and such nonesence..... Reply
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SPH
Feb 27, 09 12:02 PM CST
A line item presidential veto would require a constitutional amendment....It is a very difficult and long process to amend the constitution.....This is intentional and hopefully prevents, rash or poorly designed changes...See 18th amendment (Prohibition).....Personally, I think the line item veto vests more power to the already overreaching executive branch... Reply
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Congress • Harry Reid • Senate Democrats • earmarks • congressional Democrats • federal budget • President Obama

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