The revolt against the spendthrifts in Congress

NY Times:

Membership on the Appropriations Committee used to be a first-class ticket to Congressional success, guaranteeing lucky lawmakers the ability to campaign on the federal money they had lavished on the folks back home. But the era of the appropriator appears to be on the wane.

In a treacherous political environment where cutting spending is the more potent message and earmarks can count as a black mark, serving on the House or Senate committee that doles out federal dollars can bring more punishment than prestige.

“It really has become a bit of a liability,” said Representative Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican who is a leading foe of the home-state projects known as earmarks.

Indeed, the power of the purse has already weighed down some lawmakers. Of six Congressional incumbents defeated in preliminary contests so far this year, four were veteran members of the appropriations panel who found themselves on the defensive. Before losing a fight for his party’s nomination, Senator Robert F. Bennett, Republican of Utah, came under withering attacks from conservatives for having the temerity to steer money to the perceived benefit of his constituents.

Other lawmakers facing potentially difficult re-election bids, like Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, have built careers serving on the spending panel and emphasizing state projects, compiling a record once widely seen as enviable but now being challenged by opponents.

At the same time, three Congressional Republicans defeated in bids for other offices were appropriators who discovered that their determined efforts to deliver the goods were not fully appreciated by voters.

...
The driving force behind the rejection of the spenders has been the Tea Party Movement. They deserve some credit for this change of attitude. They may even get some control over spending. That is bad news for Democrats and for President Obama who have been on the biggest spending binge in the history of the world.
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