I am anticipating the reemergence of former Congresswoman Heather Wilson. Monday she will announce her candidacy for the US Senate unless I am totally wrong. I am trying to anticipate the new Heather. What will she be like after her post primary loss a few years back to the extreme right wing of the republican party? Will she become one of them? She herself is guilty of supporting the bush/cheney team for 8 years, but that didn't see her turn into a looney tunes character like Congressman Steve Pearce.
In her last year in congress Wilson was the queen of earmarks. She sponsored or cosponsored over $85 million in earmarks. She never met an earmark she didn't like according to one friend of mine. Now, if my guessing is right, she will come out as a extremist on the federal budget. Will any member of the press call her on this? Will the Journal send an inquisitive reporter to followup on this? Maybe Thomas Cole could go? Deep down he still is a real reporter. Maybe the veteran reporter/editor John Robertson could take some time off the desk and go do what he did so well for so many years. Real insightful political reporting.
Earmarks are actually okay with me most of the time. In dollar terms they are large but in percentage of budget they are small. But earmarks have been a rallying cry for ultra conservatives and we will see if Wilson joins the battle.
3 comments:
I have this recurring mold problem in my swamp cooler. I'll think it's taken care of, I'll think it's gone, then suddenly it's back. I know it's back because I start getting headaches. I feel one coming on now.
As for Heather Wilson, no comment.
Wilson running for the Senate ought to give the heebie jeebies to old, and ensconced democrats used to predictable liberal outcomes under Bingaman. With today's panicked mindset among the throngs, she just might win pushing a teabaggist agenda. As for earmarks, even though they make up a small part of the federal budget, too many are wasteful, are used to sway voters, and leave a bad taste in most peoples mouth.
The problem with tacking to the far right at this time is the timing. The economy is getting better, employment is starting to pick up. This will benefit Obama and the Democrats whose policies helped prevent another Great Depression. On the other hand, millions of children and families have been thrown out of their homes and lost everything during the past several years and it is their multiplying faces we will see on the streets with signs asking for food. People are still concerned with the deficit, but the result of this year's attacks on government by right wing legislators in Congress and by the Republican governors will be massive layoffs of workers who directly serve the American people's needs, the shutdown of public services, the deepening of poverty among families and children formerly of the middle-class (the 60 Minutes feature last night was heart-wrenching), the spectre of reducing or eliminating SS, Medicare and Medicaid, and the diviseness of extremist views on the right amid growing international uncertainty will be "The Issue" most people will be concerned with in 2012. If Heather wants to get elected in New Mexico as our next Senator, hard-right extremism will hurt her just like it did with Steve Pearce in 2008. Unfortunately, to get elected as the Republican nominee in New Mexico, the successful candidate has to be hard-right in all respects lest they be considered a hated "Rino". The Citizens' United SC decision to allow unlimited corporate spending on elections may be the key to getting a hard-rightwinger elected as Senator of New Mexico. Those billions were highly effective in 2010 elections. Who the Democrats select will also very important. Please, no Diane Denish nor Brian Colon, Democrats. I like Heinrich but I'm worried about losing another House seat to the GOP. Hector Balderas looks promising, although he's new and less known. Still, if he continues to act professionally and keeps fighting fraud and abuse in a highly public manner, he will could be the ticket. He needs to publically take on Susanna Martinez ax-wielding to cut the budget, including his tiny budget with only 15 auditors to oversee state agencies who have waste and/or outright fraud.
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