Tea Partiers Against Debt Deal Gain From District Spending

[marmar]

(Bloomberg) Sixty House members backed by the Tea Party, whose opposition to federal spending helped bring on an impasse over raising the U.S. debt ceiling, represent districts that last year received $43 billion in government contracts.

In 16 of those constituencies, spending exceeded $1 billion each -- more than twice the median amount for all House districts, Bloomberg Government reported today.

“People don’t like federal spending in the aggregate, but when it’s back home where you’re spending the money, that’s a different story,” said Charles J. Finocchiaro, a political scientist at the University of South Carolina, in Columbia, in an interview. The state is home to two House Tea Party Caucus members and Republican Governor Nikki Haley, elected last November with the movement’s support.

The strictest Tea Party adherents had opposed House Speaker John Boehner’s plan for a debt-limit increase before the Aug. 2 deadline. The House passed the plan 218-210, about 24 hours after Boehner postponed an initial vote to line up more supporters. Twenty-two Republicans joined 188 Democrats in opposition. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-29/tea-party-lawmakers-against-debt-deal-gain-from-big-spending-in-districts.html

[RZM]

1. That's a time honored tradition in Washington

Vote against something loaded up with pork for your home district and it's the classic having your cake and eating it too scenario. When it passes, you get to claim you were against it and enjoy its largesse at the same time.

[calimary]

2. Well, hey, that's one place where we can cut.

All the red state districts, all the teabagger home turf. If they're so serious about too much spending, let them step up to the front of the line then. And serve as examples the rest of us loyal patriotic Americans can all follow! (She said, with a subtly snide tone in her voice and her eyelashes batting fiercely...)

[RZM]

3. LOL. If only it worked like that n/t