Tuesday, December 04, 2007

House Republicans Win One   [David Freddoso]

CORRECTED (thanks to John Bresnahan): House Republicans have been fighting and winning the few little battles they can, considering they are in the minority in a body where the minority has few rights. But tonight they won big on a motion to instruct conferees on the Intelligence Authorization Act, with instructions to remove all earmarks from the bill in conference.

This is one of many such little wins the House GOP has enjoyed, peeling off moderate and marginal-seat Democrats as they do so. The conference committee is not obligated to follow the instructions, but they can only ignore them if Democratic leaders are willing to ram the earmarks through on the final vote, over a clear majority vote of the House.

It may just be a symbolic vote, but it demonstrates just how powerful the Democrats think the earmark issue is — 62 Democrats voted with a unanimous Republican caucus, including many of the most vulnerable: Boyda (Kan.), McNerney (Calif.), Lampson (Tex.) and Chris Murphy (Conn.), to name a few.

If Republicans have any chance of winning back the majority next year, the earmark issue holds forth more hope for them than any other issue right now. It resonates with taxpayers when you tell them they will be funding hippie museums and fake jobs programs for corrupt, power-hungry members of Congress.

House Republicans, after trying unsuccessfully to rule under the "pork paradigm," appear to be grasping this at last. Their Senate colleagues still have not gotten the memo.

12/04 09:12 PMShare