Sold Out as Usual for 3 Billion in Pork

Most experts agree that there were no real winners in the government shutdown debate. And many political forecasters say the brunt of fallout from the debate over the shutdown and the debt ceiling is likely to hurt Republican lawmakers.

However, the nation’s leading Republican senator came out of the deal far from empty handed. That’s because it’s been reported that Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell secured language in the new government funding bill that includes nearly $3 billion for a dam project in his home state of Kentucky.

According to reports, a provision in the funding bill includes $2.918 billion in funding to the Army Corps of Engineers to install locks as part of the Olmsted Dam and Lock Authority Project on the Ohio River.

A recent investigation by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch found that the project has run millions of dollars over budget and should have been completed “years ago.” The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates that the project will not be fully complete until 2024.

McConnell’s spokesman dodged a question about the funding provision when asked by local radio affiliate WFPL.

“Senators (Diane) Feinstein and (Lamar) Alexander, the chair and ranking member of the energy and water subcommittee, worked on the issue and can help you,” spokesman Robert Steurer told the station.

The Wall Street Journal says the funding is a substantial increase from the $755 million in funding initially designated for the project. They said the provision was the largest included in the government funding bill agreement reached on Wednesday, along with funding for a roads project in Colorado.

For his part, Alexander said he supported the provision, noting the House and Senate had already approved it earlier this year.

“According to the Army Corps of Engineers, 160 million taxpayer dollars will be wasted because of canceled contracts if this language is not included. Sen. [Diane] Feinstein and I, as chairman and ranking member of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, requested this provision,” Alexander said in a statement to BuzzFeed.

Alexander’s home state of Tennessee is also expected to benefit from the Olmsted dam project, along with Illinois.

The provision is not technically an earmark, the now barred forms of special project funding that for years was added to larger spending bills in order to win the support of lawmakers.

However, that didn’t stop the conservative watchdog site Senate Conservatives Fund from going after McConnell.

“Well now U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has an Obamacare earmark of his own,” the site said in a post on Wednesday, comparing the provision to a funding provision won over by Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson in 2009 in exchange for his vote in favor of the Affordable Care Act.

“This is an insult to all the Kentucky families who don’t want to pay for Obamacare and don’t want to shoulder any more debt,” the site says.

McConnell faces a Republican primary challenge in his 2014 re-election race from Tea Party candidate Matt Bevin. Recent polls McConnell facing a potentially tight race against his likely Democratic opponent, Allison Lundergan Grimes.   Source

As usual, the American people have been sold down the river by Mitch McConnell. Of course this is nothing new as politicians on both sides of the aisle sell out the American people on a daily basis.  What are the consequences you ask…..nothing. Absolutely nothing. On this particular occasion Mitch McConnell  secured $3 billion in some nice fat pork for his state of Kentucky.  Sit there and tell me that McConnell did not sell you out. This is BS. Our country is DROWNING in debt and McConnell says you can buy my vote for $3 billion.  All this amounts to is high-priced prostitution, that is all it is my friends.

I firmly believe that there are very few politicians who care about you or anyone for that matter. They are in the GAME for what they can secure for themselves in the long run.  They are nothing more than high-priced PIMPS.  Show me the money. Obama showed McConnell the money and got his vote along with most of the gutless republicans who folded quicker than a cheap suit.

Obama, Reid and Pelosi stood their ground waiting for the republicans to fold……and fold they did.  It is shameless.  Now Obamacare is rolling out in force.  One of my friends from West Texas emailed and said that the quote he got for his insurance will run him $726.84 cents a month.  So hold on to your wallets.  Give up some groceries and other monthly staples you once needed.  For me…I am not going to play the game.  They can come and get me put me and put in jail. I will get free food and free medical and free clothing, if you can not beat them, join’em.

It is what it is America…the republicans in congress basically stood up and folded; Obama and his liberals pulled off a bloodless coup…..They now control it all. How can we as conservatives place any confidence in our fading party…who can we trust?  Apparently no one.  As for me, the entire liberal bunch can go straight to hades, that is where they belong.
May God Bless You and May God Bless America..