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WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Memo to GOP: Don?t drop earmark ban. In March, House Republicans made an im?

By Glenn Reynolds

WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Memo to GOP: Don’t drop earmark ban.

In March, House Republicans made an important move to restore their credibility as the party of fiscal discipline when every one of them voted to ban earmarks. “Now House Republicans are going to the American people and saying we want a clean break from the runaway spending in the past. And that’s going to be quite a contrast from this Congress and the administration,” House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence crowed.

That was then. This is apparently now: “With their eyes on a House majority, Republicans are leaving the door open to allowing earmarks after a one-year party-imposed moratorium,” reported Politico on Friday. Republican leaders such as House Minority Leader John Boehner and Whip Eric Cantor are suddenly hedging on the issue. Perhaps we need to remind the would-be House leadership why they should continue to steer clear of earmarks.

Besides the obvious — earmarks lead to corruption — I should note that if the GOP leadership had paid attention to the PorkBusters movement back in 2005, they might not have lost the Congress in 2006. But they were too busy stuffing their pockets to do that, with predictable results. What kind of fools are these people? First class . . . .

Republicans have one last chance to save themselves, or Americans’ growing enthusiasm for a third party will catch up to them — not only in the 2012 presidential elections, but in a lot of Congressional districts. And Democrats, don’t get too excited about that, because you’re not very popular, either . . . .

Full post as published by Instapundit.com on September 18, 2010 (boomark / email).