Expansion of earmarks while Gingrich was speaker could alienate tea party voters

[alp227]

Source: The Washington Post

Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich has used op-ed pages, television interviews and his latest book to rail against Democrats for their use of congressional earmarking, calling it an “undemocratic, corrupt practice.”

But during his tenure as House speaker, Gingrich oversaw a dramatic expansion of the use of earmarks, laying the groundwork for a frenzy of itemized expenditures over the next decade, according to congressional records and interviews.

The surge was fueled in part by a political strategy, spearheaded by Gingrich, to help vulnerable Republicans keep their seats in the House. The period marked a crucial turning point in the use of earmarks, which until then had primarily been the province of a handful of powerful committee chairmen.

That history is likely to cause problems for Gingrich among influential tea party voters, who view earmarks as a symptom of spending excess and corruption in Washington. The issue is one of many challenges facing the twice-divorced candidate as he seeks support from religious and fiscal conservatives who hold sway in Republican primaries.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/expansion-of-earmarks-while-gingrich-was-speaker-could-alienate-tea-party-voters/2011/06/02/AG2SbyLH_singlePage.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. Typical RepubliBagger BS

Hypocrisy is THE core Republicon Family Cesspool Value.

As they keep reminding us.

[brooklynite]

2. Aww...he was doing so well otherwise