State of the Union

[LrdNikon]

Bush said he wants Congress to cut down on 'earmarks,' those pesky rider bills that somehow get attached to more important issues.

Too bad he didn't try to cut back prior to last year.

[linuxrocks]

Earmarking is not about adding bills to other bills. It's about spending money on (supposedly) small bills that actually didn't get passed.

disclaimer: I am not a US citizen

[LrdNikon]

He said added bills that (roughly quoted) were not voted on and not signed into law by him.

So yeah, I probably misunderstood...and its more about the money.

[Uglyowl]

When he said that I noted the similarities to internet poker:

1. Unrelated to the main order of business.
2. Snuck through in the middle of the night when even CSPAN isn't watching.

[LrdNikon]

That's what I thought, hence the post.

Any other thoughts on the speech?

[Uglyowl]

Nothing on the speech, but the look on Hillary's face when they pan to her is embarrassing. Sleeping Ted Kennedy as well.

[Webster]

I also thought that - I guess now that the Dems can do it he does not think it's a great idea anymore! hmmmm!

[jbrent33]

To "earmark" funds is to designate them for a specific project. For example X amount of dollars in the hiway bill was earmarked for a bridge in Alaska.

A rider is an attachment to a bill that typically has little to do the orignal subject of the legislation. For example the UIGA was rider on the Port Security bill.

The President didn't care much about them in past because it was his party doing the earmarking and adding the riders. Now he will be in a position of having to sign "must pass" legislation that some has attached a rider expanding stem cell research or some other thing that is in conflict with his agenda.

[prodonkey]

Funny how that works isn't it

[genesisgkh1]

Typical politician. My party in charge-earmarks OK. Other party in charge-we must stop these earmarks. Bunch of crap. BTW politicians are about as likely to ban earmarks as they are to vote for term limits.