WASHINGTON – He wasn’t the most outspoken candidate for the spot on the committee, but when the stars lined up, he was thought to be the best fit. Rep. Jo Bonner won a seat on the House Appropriations Committee earlier this month.
Bonner had two key things going for him – he has a pretty safe seat (we’ll get to that later) and he’s not as likely to rock the boat like one of his competitors, self-proclaimed earmark hawk Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.).
“The current earmark process has become a symbol of a broken Washington,” Bonner said in a release following the confirmation of his appointment by the House Steering Committee. “I sought this seat on the Appropriations Committee because I believe the time for change and reform – especially of the appropriations process and the much scrutinized subject of earmarks – is now.”
One conservative group petitioned Bonner to sign a “no earmark” pledge for the fiscal year 2009, but there’s been no indication he’s going to do so. Still, Bonner’s talking a good game on fiscal responsibility early on.
“My first priority as a member of the committee will be to serve as a vigilant guardian of the taxpayers’ money, helping to expose and eliminate wasteful or questionable spending. Towards that end, I have strongly supported the efforts of House Republican leadership to reform the current earmark process and eliminate wasteful spending.”
Bonner fills the vacancy created when former U.S. Rep. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) was appointed to the Senate following the resignation of Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.).
Libertarian Candidate Speaks Out
Although he’s been somewhat of a footnote in this election cycle, former Lt. Col. Dick Coffee and District 1 Libertarian congressional hopeful admits he has no chance of winning and thinks the same of potential Democratic challenger Ben Lodmell.
“Bonner doesn’t need to talk because the issue is not in doubt, but he will win by a long shot,” Coffee said to Lagniappe. “Lodmell still has signs up in his front yard and I still talk to anyone who will listen about our corrupt, ignorant, ineffective, out-of-control government.”
Coffee said the government school system has managed, over the last century, to “dumb down the electorate to a truly un-savvy aggregation of people who know little and apparently care less, about how government was designed to work.”
“The federal government has no right,” he added. “Its purpose is to protect the citizen in the enjoyment of life, liberty and property, and any other function of government is usurpation and oppression.”
Unfortunately for Coffee, he won’t be on the ballot in November, but he certainly has a unique perspective.
Sessions: ‘Economy is in Trouble’; Thinks Stimulus Package isn’t ‘Good for America’
The U.S. Commerce Department forecasted 0.6 percent economic growth for the fourth quarter of 2007. That’s a sure sign the once-scorching economy has hit the brakes. Alabama won’t likely feel the brunt of the worst of any national slowdown – thanks to lower taxes and regulation and averting the worst of the subprime housing crisis.
Sen. Jeff Sessions said there are some bright spots, but he is concerned about the economy. He has doubts about the effectiveness of the stimulus package signed into law by President George W. Bush earlier this month.
“I do believe the economy is in trouble and we are having some difficulties, but when the chips came right down to it, I feel like we’ve got to be responsible steward and I’m afraid this stimulus package was more of a political stimulus than a real package that would impact our economy in any significant way,” Sessions said to Lagniappe.
The stimulus package, one economist said, is like taking a glass of water from the deep end of a swimming pool and pouring it into the shallow end, while expecting the pool to get deeper. Sessions’ concerned stemmed from the amount of money it would added to the national debt.
“We’ve had three years in which our debt has declined,” Sessions said. “Now we’re going to have an economic slowdown, not so much growth. So we’ll probably have less growth and revenue than we’ve had and now we’re going to add another $150 billion to it.”
Sessions lobbied for amendments to the stimulus bill because it was going to be approved regardless, but he ended up voting against it.
“So, when it came right down to that vote, I just didn’t feel like this was good for America, so I didn’t vote for it, but I did support the provisions to make sure seniors and veterans would get a fair share, and illegal aliens wouldn’t benefit from the plan,” he said.
Ben Lodmell’s Curiosity and the Local Democratic Party
Last week, there was a YouTube video circulating with Ben Lodmell and a radio interview he conducted with WLVV (since removed by the “user”). He led into the radio interview stating how he thought it was curious no newspapers wanted to talk to him prior to his arrest in Baldwin County, but now they do – which isn’t entirely true, at least from my perspective.
Here’s what I find curious – how can someone move from Arizona and decide to run for Congress in that district a little over a year and a half later and how on earth could the local Democratic power structure allow someone to do that?
Bonner won’t likely be knocked off anytime soon, but if there ever was a shot for a Democratic candidate to have a good showing against the incumbent, it would have been this election cycle – based on Barack Obama’s solid showing in the state as a Democratic candidate for president in the Alabama Super Tuesday primary.
It’s a crying shame – that for the second consecutive election cycle the local Democratic party has offered nothing but token opposition – first cat-lady extraordinaire Vivian Beckerle and now some guy who used to run a children’s charity in Arizona.
Contact Jeff Poor at jeffreypoor@yahoo.com.
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