Chris Van Hollen Points Out the Republicans Hypocrisy on Earmark Reform
Chris Wallace does his best to make sure Chris Van Hollen can’t adequately respond to him when pointing out the Republicans hypocrisy with their temporary ban on all earmarks which as Van Hollen tries to point out is nothing more than an election year stunt. As he noted if they were serious about doing reform, they’d have done it when they were in power and they’d be pushing for permanent changes and not temporary ones.
Wallace: Congressman Van Hollen this week House Democrats announced a one year ban on earmarks—those are the individual members’ pet projects going to for profit corporations—then House Republicans announced a one year ban on all earmarks, for profit corporations, to anyone. Will House Democrats join House Republicans in a one year ban on all earmarks?
Van Hollen: Let me say Chris, I’ve got to smile when my Republican colleagues talk about earmark reform. For sixteen years when they had the Congress they did nothing. The test of whether you’re serious is what you do when you have the power to change it. Not what you say when you don’t. Earmarks quadrupled during those sixteen years. The first day of the new Democratic Congress in 2007 we put in place transparency reforms, accountability reforms, we can no longer tuck these pet projects in the middle of the night into the…
Wallace: Sir you’re not answering my question.
Van Hollen: I’m going to get there. I think it’s important to lay this predicate. We also passed a provision that says that you have to sign a conflict of interest disclosure. You can’t ask for earmarks where you have an interest…
Wallace: We’re going to run out of time.
Van Hollen: Okay Chris. The answer to your question is we have passed a major change in terms of banning nonprofits and it’s a permanent change. What they’ve said is they’re going to do a temporary moratorium and in fact if you listen to Jerry Lewis and others in their caucus…
Wallace: We should point out that’s not the comedian, that’s the Congressman from California.
Van Hollen: That’s right. He’s their leading member, their senior member on the Appropriations Committee—this is eight months—what we did was permanent. All our changes we’ve made are permanent and the way they got their conference on board was to say wink, wink, eight months, we can change when we come back.
Wallace: Congressman Cantor?
Cantor: Chris, I mean, come on, listen to that. I mean there’s a reason why we’re in the minority now. I think we’ve tried to learn our lesson here. We took a significant step the other day in our conference and we said we will not be seeking any earmarks, a total ban on earmarks this year.
When I heard the word "earmarks" this morning, I was wondering how they'd find a way to criticize Democrats.
Maybe THEY don't remember all the fuss over earmarks just a couple of years ago, but I sure do.
* There are two types of Republicans: millionaires and suckers.
"Mugsy's Rap Sheet": Recording history for those who seek to rewrite it.
Those republicans are depending on the stupidity of their lemmings to forget their run with earmarks. You betcha.
Southern Yankee
Only because the guy assumed you asked a serious question and he wants to give a well-reasoned well-thought out answer, to which you and your colleagues at FOX 'News' are unaccustomed, AND because you don't want that, 'Sir.'
If the Thugs don't want earmarks, then let THEM stop. If they're so against it, they have free will and are not compelled to put them forward.
me-oww!
If Wallace wanted to hear the answer he wouldn't have interrupted Van Hollen in mid-sentence. He's a hack.
All I want to know is when are the old time journalist going to start holding Fox News accountable. It's so hard to watch a program and know they are nothing more than republican mouth pieces.
Southern Yankee
Mouth breeders too...
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
These ass holes would put a shiny paint job on a rusty old junker without wheels, if they thought it would pass the radar screen.
wallace only plays into their playbook. Don't give the Democrat a chance to elaborate or explain. Just pull a "yes/no answer" out of him, and move on to some other propaganda point.
What a disgusting slime ball.
For one year? Yeah, and a year later when the Republicans win back some seats the earmarks will be in vogue again. Fucking liars! All of them. Republicans AND Democrats like Bac-ass, Stitpack and "Yes" Massa. They don't care about this country or it's people. They listen to the $$$$$.
My God Man! Think about what you're saying. It's not worth it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dK_xRBvOcI&fe...
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Drops to knees request all contributors deposit male appendage in his mouth for best double lip lock on a love muscle.
Racist Nazi Anti American republiCANT promises to rescind all and every regulation on the boys he services, news flash cantor promises twice the service with the dropping of his pants and the bending over on the chair this way he can service two clients at once.
If this MORON wallace cared and he doesn't he wouldn't have kept on interupting trying to spare his closet QUEEN republiCANT partner.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AutxFgxTshM
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
I no longer watch the morning 'news' shows. Unfortunately, I ran across this live this morning: Karen Ignagni, President of AAHP and Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Shultz join Bob Schieffer for a discussion on insurance reform in health care. Then I accidently demolished my TV, the front door of my house, my car, my neighbors car and every mailbox on my street.
I stopped watching the Sunday morning talk shows about 3 years ago. The same tired people, the same tired talking points and no real information.
Election 2012: Be Educated! Be Active! Vote!
www.PhoenixJustice.com
seriously
how does he walk and chew gum at the same time?
That word is now used by the MSM as an epithet.
Many times an earmark is needed to quickly distibute funding to a worthy cause, such as an earthquake, fire, or flood event(the New Orleans flood for example).
Banning ALL earmarks would be a very foolish decision indeed.
thing is, the repukes count research grants, grants to non profits and work programs as earmarks....its not the same thing
no for profit company should get jack from the gov...its welfare, plain and simple
Actually he was answering the question, if by answering you mean anything beyond a sound bite.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Cantor always has a sh*t eating grin on his face. He looks like a laughing hyena.
Actually, if you stick the right wig and makeup on him he looks an awful lot like Sarah Palin. I did that with a makeover program and the resemblance was striking. Yes, I know, I obviously have way too much free time.
is considered a rising star in the repug party, go figure?
Wallace only plays into their playbook. Don't give the Democrat a chance to elaborate or explain. Just pull a "yes/no answer" out of him, and move on to some other propaganda point. Free Downloads
and you can count on one hand the number of times he has interrupted a Republican.
I can only imagine how embarrassed Mike Wallace must feel, week after week, after week.
It's not all or nothing.
Yeah, I bet family dinners are real interesting.
Election 2012: Be Educated! Be Active! Vote!
www.PhoenixJustice.com
"I'm gonna go home and slap your momma,YOU can't be the seed of my loins..."
....the fools do not realize,a population that can ,..... not paticipate .............in the 'economy'...,can not keep it viable!..........."we are listening,.......and we're not blind.,......this is your life....this is your time."
boy interrupts Congressman Van Hollen for the fiftieth time. wow, thanks for clearing that up. but it was important for certainly the average Fox News viewer WOULD have thought it was Jerry Lewis the comedian and not some OTHER guy named Jerry Lewis. way to go, Chrissy, for letting it 'slip' that you think so little of your viewer's awareness of popular culture, and whats going on in general, that you AUTOMATICALLY throw in the clarification of which J Lewis it is. yeah, you're thinking to yourself fey self, none of my viewers would know its NOT that Jerry Lewis. sheesh, what a rube.
Wallace asked the direct question, “Will House Democrats join House Republicans in a one year ban on all earmarks?”
Van Hollen should have said, “Yes, when they get serious about it.”
Instead, he talks about the history of earmarks, laying predicates, Jerry Lewis not the comedian, and god knows whatever else … I forgot the question.
We have to have sound-bite-ready answers to questions like this on the shelf and ready to go whenever an issue like this comes up.
Ever notice how Republicans refer to a “government takeover” whenever healthcare comes up? That’s not an accident. Frank Luntz provided that phrase over a year ago, and every single Republican uses it every single time he gets in front of a camera.
You have to win the marketing wars before you win the policy wars. If you can’t sell your product, it never matters how good it is.
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