Reason.tv: Pork Party House! Where DC Insiders Go for Tax-Subsidized Fun
by Nick GillespieFirst Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) surrenders his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee amid an ethics investigation. Now Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) proposes an idea that she hopes will help her make good on her promise to help lead “the most ethical Congress in history”—a party-wide ban on earmarks. Will it happen? Don’t bet on it. Reason.tv’s “Pork Party House” helps explain why neither party can resist the pull of pork.
If you’re a politician, lobbyist, or insider and you’re in the mood to party, check out a Washington D.C. mansion called the Sewall-Belmont House. Party with senators and celebrities at thousand-dollar-a-plate fundraisers! You might even get to ride a mechanical bull! The Sewall-Belmont House hosts so many A-list events, you might be surprised to find out that your tax dollars help fund this hotspot for Washington insiders. “Over the last 10 years, the Sewall-Belmont House has gotten over $3.4 million in earmarks,” says Leslie Paige of Citizens Against Government Waste.
Reporters often highlight the most ridiculous examples, but politicians have learned how to make their pork projects sound uncontroversial, even appealing. Just say your project will help children, senior citizens, or—if you really want to slip under the radar—direct taxpayer dough to a museum.
“Museums are one of the biggies because they sound so good,” says Paige. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) used that angle to direct a million-dollar earmark to the Sewall-Belmont House (after the Senator received an award from the Sewall-Belmont House). Turns out Landrieu was just getting warmed up, because her recent $300 million “Louisiana Purchase” shot her into the ranks of pork legends.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this, laments Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), one of Congress’s few legitimate pork busters. Flake tells Reason.tv that despite pork-laden scandals that stuck some members behind bars—remember Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-Calif.)?—and promises from Barack Obama to reform earmarks, spending on pork continues to swell in the giant pork party house called the U.S. Congress.
“Pork Party House” is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Producer: Hawk Jensen; Host: Nick Gillespie; Field Producer: Dan Hayes; Associate Producer: Paul Detrick; Additional Camera: Meredith Bragg; Production Assistant: Josh Swain; Music: “Get What You Want?” by Beight (Magnatune Records).
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44 Comments
Interesting article.
Speaking of Pork Party, Congressman Massa is going to be on Beck right now. Perhaps he will poke porky….
Hi CL – tuned in for the fireworks!
Thus far Massa comes across as believable………
He is thankful he didn't drop the Soap!
I'm buying so far, sounds pretty reasonable.
I hope he drops a bomb on them.
I'm a jaded cynic, but thus far Massa is doing a good job selling me. What do you all think?
I don't think he'll have any specifics, sounds like he's just sick of the whole thing.
As a Republican, Massa was left of McCain (hard to believe huh). As a Democrat from New York, anything that comes out of his mouth is probably a lie. Except when bashing Obama, Rahm, Reid or Pelosi.
Then he is spot on.
I gave Massa the benefit of the doubt, but he didn't say anything sunstantive. It was a let down.
hard to tell, but no doubt something doesn't smell right
Massa interview on Beck was a complete waste of time…
Personally I think somebody made some form of slimy or murderous threat before he went on the air, I hope I'm wrong but he seemed very apprehensive, evasive and frightened…
I am thinking somebody actually threatened his, his wife's or his kids lives I wouldn't doubt if Rahm "dead fish" Emanuel was that creepy…
When the screws are tightened on him enough and they will be, he may well seek out a prosecutor if he lives that long…
Massa sounds like just another sniveling Liberal Democrat not taking responsibility for his own downfall. An innocent man would have come out swinging from the get go. Maybe it is simple as the Obama camp "bought" Massa's PR man and he is to stupid to realize it. So what Conservative is going to run for "his" seat?
Somewhat let down myself. Do wish that Glenn hadn't gotten so hung up on the resignation thing. After a couple of times it was too much. Do think Glenn would benefit from some questioning lessons from Greta Van Susteren, who is very good at getting questions asked and answered (law-yer training, no doubt). Massa did seem pretty earnest about the whole thing. You may not get anything brand new from him as the two incidents with Rahmbone (phone call and shower stall scene) were covered previously in Massa's radio rant. I do buy his time line on the cancer/Rahmbone scene vs the White House spin. He did bring an x-ray to support the cancer story. The real string dangling there that needed to be pulled was why he felt he was forced out. Maybe a few "subtle nudges" from the Obamafia before the interview were sufficient to intimidate him.
Washington is a cesspool. Maybe he just got tired of swimming around in all that crap.
Massa didn't say anything specific, on Beck's Show, because the POWER BE, got to him.
If he truly has a Cancer Medical condition….he would just end up like John Murtha, if he ended up for an operation, never to return again
Where's the beef??
Glenn made a mistake, Massa is a loose cannon and was grasping at straws. It was unfortunate and embarassing to watch.
The only thing that will fix our political problem with pork is a ban on giving them money…
I think Massa has not prepared well. He will get annihialated because of his other issues. He is not a good candidate because of his voting record. Just saying.
Although I do enjoy the progressives cannbalizing each other. Made some popcorn..want some for the future show?
[...] here to see the original: » Reason.tv: Pork Party House! Where DC Insiders Go for Tax … tags: 300-million, after-the-senator, another-opportunity, concepts, direct, [...]
WoW……….all I can think about after looking at that picture is "when was the last time I ate bacon"?
Can you smell it?………..I can. Damn, what did I read in the article? Too busy trying to remember
which freezer the bacon is stashed in.
Let's all choose freedom over nanny state.
http://www.pjtv.com/v/3207
That stupid bitch Nick Gillespie voted for somebody other than than John McCain, which means that he voted for Captain Zero (in effect). What ever he says which is critical of Captain Zero is completely self-justifying. He is a bitch.
Glenn Beck blew this, he was not prepared, he is lousy doing interviews, wasted half the show on was Massa a fruit or not while the guys wife and maybe his kids were there to hear that.
Glenn wanted DC dirt and not getting it he falsely made claims the day before that this show was going to be huge when he asked few questions and even hit the guy on more charges made that Massa did not even know about and only wanted to defend his actions.
Hey Beck we already knew the sky was falling we do not have to hear from you repeating it on a daily basis
[...] The SWARM! [...]
Couldn't have been better, well presented class on how the "Supreme class" abuses it's power!! Even the disillusioned are awakened!!! The former insiders, the ones who bought into the rhetoric, hook line and sinker are waking up and realizing… Duh.."How stupid could I have been"!!!! Sometimes they (The Repenters) are the ones most capable of exposing the norm they used to accept as fact/truth! Many immigrants come to America to be free, most honor that pledge to themselves, others are constrained by their past restraints!!! They find they can't run from what bothers them, they must turn away from it, then it will distance itself from them and they will find peace, in their new land, our old land, which we take for granted, the same as they will after awhile, it is human nature to become complacent, it is what Rulers prey upon!! STAY AWAKE (On guard)!!!
Watching that interview I just kept picturing Massa on a used car lot.
He basically stated that he was quitting because the job is too hard. If you're not running for re-election that should free up the five hours he said he spends on the phone looking for money. I would guess that a congressman that wasn't running for re-election could adjust his schedule to make it seem like a part time job. Nothing he said made any sense – my bs detector was in overdrive.
The guy was against obamacare because it he wanted it to be a LARGER entitlement. The only reason his resignation makes sense is the fact that he didn't want to deal with the persecution the progressive establishment was going to bring on his life, and stopping obamacare wasn't worth the fight. For a military man it doesn't seem very honoralble to quit congress on the eve of the biggest government power grab in 75 years. I hope selling your soul was worth it. Is it any wonder nearly everyone thinks congress sucks?
Apparently, Glenn got into it with Michelle Malkin on his radio show. She told him Massa was not "credible," and not a good guest for his show. He differed in opinion.
Sure hope he is not "losing it."
Actually, I follow a controlled carb diet, and enjoyed bacon twice this week! Albeit not the kind with nasty chemicals such as nitrates and nitrites.
Sure hope you located your bacon and had a few sizzling strips. I could smell the bacon when I first saw that photo.
Beck should have done the interview last night, right after he resigned. Massa had too much time
& had cooled down considerably from his radio rant yesterday. My impression, he used Beck, he
was tweaking Rahm just by being there.
Hi TR, see you were on here early this AM,……….waiting for daylight, I bet?……….as relates to bacon,
we're down to occasionally, for a special treat, probably a quarterly treat. That is the reason for keep-
ing it in the freezer, it isn't readily available for a quick BLT. But when the big tomatoes in the garden
are ripe, Katie bar the door, all the dietary restrictions are ignored. My theory is, the acidity of the tom-
atoe negates the grease in the bacon, similar to the French & their wine countering the heavy buttery
sauces they consume. Although I always figured their better cholesterol numbers were more likely
due to genetics.
I was surprised after about 30 minutes that Glen didn't end it.
Massa stayed true to his Progressive Partners in Crime and didn't come clean. I am sure that Glen wouldn't have wasted time with him, and given him the forum he did, if he would have known that it would have turned out like it did.
Go on an Atkins diet for a few weeks and eat all you want!!
I agree.
I am angry with myself, that I wasted an hour watching it. There was nothing of substance, and it was a total waste of time. Massa was holding back, and had that deer in the headlights look. He almost acted like Rahm Emanuel was holding his firstborn hostage until after the show…………
After sleeping on it over night, and reflecting on it, I believe you are right.
A couple good cartoons about Obama's "truthfulness" at http://drawfortruth.wordpress.com/category/truthf...
Who knows what threats were made? Between the heavy-handedness of the Administration and the state of NY politics, I am sure that Union thugs have him scared for his family.
He even made the comment that he was wrong about Rahm throwing his own kids under the train, but that he would throw Massa's kids under the train. May have been more to that statement than he let on, saying he was joking with a frown on his face.
The whole damn thing stinks of "pond scum politics" and "Dead fish boy", Nancy "the doll" and Harry "the crypt keeper" are at ground zero of this whole damn thing…
You are stupid
I am doing a sort of mash-up between Protein Power and South Beach Diet. The hardest part for me about SB, is the first 2 weeks, you don't have any fruits. That is a hard one, as my mama always made sure we had a lot of fruit.
If you eat a lot of bacon and sliced meats, check out the Hormel Natural Choice brand. They don't use nitrites or nitrates, but you do need to be aware of the sodium content.
I have always eaten a lot of meat…go figure. We even used to have chicken fried steak and gravy for breakfast sometimes when I was a kid. Of course, I haven't eaten any white flour or anything fried in years now, but I do like my protein!
[...] Original post by Nick Gillespie [...]
Yep, I was up either late or early, depending on your viewpoint. Big possum had the dogs riled. Have you even seen a possum’s set of chompers? Impressive. I swear, every time I see a possum, I think of Granny on Beverly Hillbillies. That woman was always wanting to “fry up” some road kill or other.
I think you might be onto something with your theory, cornpone. I like it! It is a proven fact now, that 1-2 alcoholic drinks a day for men and 1 drink per day for women helps prevent heart trouble. For pretty much doing the same thing as your tomato theory, actually. Sort of cleans out the pipes!
The protein diet doctors' theory is that it is the bad carbs that cause the problems with fat intake – that if you don't eat the high glycemic carbs, the dietary fat doesn't stick around to do as much damage. Of course, you have to use reason.
Man, oh, man – there is no finer food than a juicy BLT loaded up with crisp bacon and home-grown tomatoes! Although ripe peaches picked from a tree come in pretty close.
Hi, thx for your info about Phen375/Phentemine 375. Bought the 6 month package!
Get it right here! The Globe Best FatBurner!!!
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