"Omnibus" spending bill

[c double]

Congress is now considering President Bush's gigantic, 820 billion
dollar spending bill. The bill is full of giveaways to giant
corporations, including many that would never pass if they were
considered on their own, such as:

- Bush's attempt to roll back overtime protections for 8 million
hardworking families; and

- The FCC's attempt to allow more media monopolization.

The House is scheduled to vote on this bill today, Monday December 8th.
The Senate may follow suit soon afterward -- unless we help stop them.

Please call your Representative and Senators now, at:

Representative Sam Johnson
DC Phone: 202-225-4201

Senator Phil Gramm
DC Phone: 202-224-2934
Local Phone: 214-767-3000

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
DC Phone: 202-224-5922
Local Phone: 713-653-3456

Urge them to reject Bush's Omnibus* spending bill.

In recent months MoveOn members have fought hard to protect overtime, and to maintain the cap on media ownership by a single company. In both cases, majorities in both houses of Congress agreed with us. Now, Congress may reverse itself on both of these issues.

One reason is that this giant spending bill is full of pork -- there's
something in it for virtually every member of Congress' home district.
That's why calls from constituents will be especially important to
stop this bill -- they need to know we won't take the bait, that we
insist on a better, cleaner bill instead.

Here are some examples of the pork in the Omnibus spending bill:

$50,000,000 to build an indoor rainforest in Iowa.

$2,000,000 for the First Tee Program, to get young people into golf.

$405,000 for industrial lubricants research in Iowa.

$338,000 for the Alabama Beef Connection.

$225,000 for the National Wild Turkey federation, a hunting concern.

$4,000,000 for the International Fertilizer Development Center.

$595,000,000 for Trilogy, an FBI information technology program.

$397,700,000 for prison buildings and facilities.

$6,000,000 for a Police Athletic League.

$30,000,000 for the Southwest Border Prosecutors Initiative.

$7,105,000 for construction of an international narcotics control
law enforcement academy in Roswell, NM.

Up to $120,000,000 for a classified Defense Department project.

$250,000 for the General Patton Museum of Cavalry & Armor, in Kentucky.

$225,000 for a shopping center in Adelanto, CA.

$500,000 for the "Exercise in Hard Choices" at the U. of Akron, which
attempts to replicate House and Senate meetings in which congressional
members review a budget, and vote to include or exclude various options.

Not all choices are so hard. This Omnibus spending bill must be stopped.

Please call your representatives now.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

- Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Noah, Peter, Wes, and Zack
The MoveOn team
Monday, December 8th, 2003

[Ryan]

This will fall on def ears. The Bush supporters care absolutely nothing about federal spending, at least not enough to take their vote away from him. He knows this, so he will undoubtedly continue to rob us blind, creating pork projects and entightlement programs in his attempt to steal votes and raise money. More proof of what I have said before, he is the WORST PRESIDENT IN MODERN HISTORY.

PS - Please email the MoveOn folk and let them know that Phil Gramm is no longer our senator.

[c double]

when does modern history begin?

worse than Nixon? Johnson?

his War on Terror is a bit of a joke, but is it a bigger mistake than the War on Drugs? I think not.

he hasn't exactly had the best three years in history to work with.. in some areas he hasn't been that bad. I can't stand him, but I'm trying to look on the bright side... as I seriously doubt Dean will take him down. and I doubt any of us would be much happier right now with Democrats in the white house... we'd just focus our frustration on them.

[Ryan]

Originally posted by c double
when does modern history begin?

worse than Nixon? Johnson?

For my purposes, modern history begins after Andrew Jackson. Yes, I do believe he is worse than Nixon or Johnson. He has done NOTHING good for this country. He has wasted more money than any other president has ever done. He has squandered the world's support for us against Islamic extremists. He has completely alienated much of the world and undone decades worth of diplomatic relationships. He is primarily responsible for driving us into a new phase of world order in which preemptive war is now a primary strategy. He has trampled the Constitution and greatly expanded the power of the federal government. And last, but not least, he has lowered the standard of dignity and intellect for the presidency and the entire country.

Do I think any Democrat could "save the day" and turn it all around? Of course not. But I do think, at the very least, we would see the Republican Congress block these enormous spending bills instead of simply falling in line because a member of their party is in the White House. I also think it could prevent more unnecessary war and perhaps it could rebuild some of the relationships that the current administration has dismantled. And finally, I think just about anyone could represent America in a dignified and respectible manner better than that yahoo.

[Adam D]

I would say being able to take unparalleled international support and in months turn most of the world against the US makes him a pretty terrible president.

[Big Andy]

This bill also has a provision in it to stifle dissent and shut up groups supporting drug policy reform.

CLICK ME! <----CLICK HIM!!

Originally posted by Ryan
This will fall on def ears. The Bush supporters care absolutely nothing about federal spending, at least not enough to take their vote away from him. He knows this, so he will undoubtedly continue to rob us blind, creating pork projects and entightlement programs in his attempt to steal votes and raise money. More proof of what I have said before, he is the WORST PRESIDENT IN MODERN HISTORY.

PS - Please email the MoveOn folk and let them know that Phil Gramm is no longer our senator.

Most conservatives are quite alarmed at the spending spree Mr. Bush has gone on. And I am very disappointed in Bush on this point.

I doubt any conservative thinks a Democrat would be more constrained with the check book.

Pork - not a condition afflicting one party or the other - it is something that tarnishes most politicians. Oddly, the party with the most members of congress tends to be more successful in dishing out the pork though - go figure.

As far as worst goes...... quite a bit too soon to say that. It has been said of pretty much every President ever elected. I don't think I could point to one - but I could sure point to specific horrible things specific Presidents have done - and GWs spending is way up there.