Omnibus? More like Omni-BUST! | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: Brant Clifton's understanding of what truly constitutes what is conservative is stressed here in his "bare knuckles" Conservative online publication known as The Daily Haymaker.

    I went back in the Google time machine and found some comments from GOP leaders shortly after the Tea Party put them back in charge of the US House of Representatives:

    [...] "It's still just me," Boehner joked at the top of his remarks, before promising to cut Congress' budget and institute a more open process in the House.

    "No longer can we fall short. No longer can we kick the can down the road," Boehner said. "The people voted to end business as usual, and today we begin to carry out their instructions."[...]

    "I think you could sum up what our new majority is going to be about by saying it is a 'cut and grow' majority," said Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, who takes up the mantle of majority leader today. "We are going to be about cutting spending and cutting the job-killing regulations that this administration has been about over the last two years."[...]

    Let's fast forward to this week where a still GOP-controlled House passed a $1.1 TRILLION omnibus spending bill by a 359-67 margin. That group of 67 included only THREE North Carolinians with any sort of spine / courage / etc. : Mike McIntyre, Mark Meadows and George Holding. (Walter Jones did not vote.) Duncan and Sanford were the only TWO South Carolinians in that group of 67. (Everyone had their panties in a wad about Mark Sanford coming back to the House. But the guy sure has voted RIGHT since getting back to DC.)

    The bill was 1,582 pages long, and the members only had 48 hours to digest its contents. Mark Meadows said he didn't read the whole thing, but said he saw enough in what he read to decide he wasn't voting for it.
Our nation's Capitol: Above.     photo by Stan Deatherage
    This legislative monstrosity funds ObamaCare and continues advertising for food stamps IN MEXICO. Arizona congressman Paul Gosar (R), an opponent of the spending bill, tossed in his two cents:

    Gosar, one of the GOP members who opposed the bill, said in a statement that he voted against the "massive spending bill" for a number of reasons, including that the bill:

    ...undermines the sound fiscal cuts we implemented in 2011 by increasing overall spending above 2014 sequester levels. I was sent to Congress to cut spending and work toward a balanced budget, not increase spending and balloon our national debt.

    Second, this bill was conceived in a flawed process, which exemplifies dysfunctional Washington. This massive 1,582 page bill was written behind closed doors. There was no open debate. No amendments were allowed. We were given a measly 48 hours to read and digest its 1,582 pages. It is irresponsible to vote on enormous bills no one had time to read. When it comes to rushing bills through Congress, ObamaCare taught us an important lesson: we must demand time to air out legislation and have a conversation with the people who elected us. [...]

    Wait. Didn't Mr. Boehner promise a "more open process" in the House? Hold on. It gets "better":

    [... Raul] Labrador, another conservative who voted against the bill, said, "Once again, Congress is kicking the can down the road, refusing to make the tough choices that are necessary to put our fiscal house in order and prevent a future debt crisis. The Omnibus is Washington at its worst  -  a 1,582 page bill stuffed with pork, ineffective programs and giveaways, being rushed through Congress without proper review." [...]

    Wait. DIDN'T Mr. Boehner promise there would be no more kicking the can down the road?

    Folks, we got played in 2010. We're still getting played. If you're serious about saving this country, you've got to educate yourself on the issues. Stop voting based on how nice a politician was to your children, or the size of the government check they handed to you. Stop getting fooled by the consultant-scripted ads and the stupid, somnambulant, lazy, transcribing mainstream media. Do your homework. Compare politician statements to their voting records. Gain an understanding of just how these monstrosities cobbled together in Raleigh, Columbia and DC will affect you, your family, your business, your state and your country. It's up to us.