Permit me the pleasure of citing Cato Institute budget analyst Tad DeHaven on why Congresswoman Kristi Noem is a complete hypocrite.
On Wednesday, the House considered an amendment by Kansas Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo to eliminate funding for the federal Economic Development Administration. Rep. Noem showed her big-government roots by voting to kill the amendment and keep corporate welfare alive:
Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD), for example, voted against the Pompeo amendment. But in a column she penned in April, Noem said "Our debt crisis is a result of Washington spending money it doesn't have and letting our children and grandchildren pick up the tab." Noem favors a Balance Budget Amendment and says that "Our government must come together and make the tough decisions to secure our nation's prosperous future." Really? Noem says tough decisions need to be made but she can't even get behind the elimination of the EDA. Talk about chutzpah.
Noem and 85 other Republicans also voted against Rep. Ben Quayle's (R-AZ) amendment that would have defunded a new corporate welfare program asked for by President Obama in his fiscal 2013 budget proposal. Thanks to the 86 Republicans in the House, instead of terminating programs, taxpayers will get a new one called the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia program [Tad DeHaven, "Republicans Help Save the Economic Development Administration," Cato@Liberty, 2012.05.09].
That's not some cranky South Dakota liberal talking. That's a Cato Institute conservative, someone with no dog in South Dakota politics.
Ask a real, thinking conservative, and he'll tell you that Kristi is no conservative. She's nothing but a climber, dedicated to power, not principle.
In other news, still no word on when Noem's family will stop suckling at the government teat of farm subsidies and federal crop insurance.
Update 21:53 MDT: Interesting: Rep. Noem missed the vote to tinker with last year's budget sequestration deal and avert cuts from the military by slashing billions from Medicaid, federal worker benefits, and food assistance for low-income Americans.
I've heard Noem has missed more votes than she should have.
"Ask a real, thinking conservative, and he’ll tell you that Kristi is no conservative. She’s nothing but a climber, dedicated to power, not principle."
That line says it all. If Varilek and Barth would start saying that then I believe they would have something that could garner some traction.
Truth is hard, Mike, and we need to say it. Varilek and Barth may hesitate to beat that drum, since Noem's predictable response will be about how un-South Dakotan it is to wage a negative campaign. Could she win on that "poor me" rebuttal? Could she make Varilek or Barth look like meanies for pointing out the truth?
Barth & Varilek can talk about Noem missing votes. That's a good issue. But the votes she has actually showed up for on the Quayle & Pompeo amendments are only an issue if the Democrats would have voted differently.
These congress people only actually work 3-4 days a week in Warshington for their $175,000/year. Why is it that even with a part-time legislative schedule they still don't show up for votes?
But she has such a pretty face. I've seen it on TV. How can we not elect and re-elect such a pretty face. Sometimes even during primetime! And she's on the GOP ticket! NOTHING should change in my world, of course unless there is another pretty face? But anyways, I shore hope she dont stop showin those mercials with er pretty face AFTER I cast my vote fer er!
Evidence is mounting that Noem is not only vulnerable but some inside chatter suggests that she's fed up with the DC culture and wants out.
More to come.
Regardless of whether Barth of Varilek would have voted the same as Rep. Noem on these amendments, hypokristi is always an issue that can be used against an incumbent. Yes, I spelled that right. That's how the victor of the Democratic primary ought to phrase it in commercials. Kristi Noem says ... . Kristi Noem does ... . More Kristi hypokristi.
I've pretty much decided who will get my vote against Noem. I'm just plain tired of that lady. She says nothing and does nothing unless it's to her own benefit.