Friday, September 05, 2008

Obama: Votes for "Nowhere," Not New Orleans

Yah, I guess O's community does not include New Orleans--but DOES include Alaska.

Coburn’s amendment to remove the $223 million Alaskan “Bridge to Nowhere” from a Senate Appropriations bill and use it instead to repair the heavily damaged Interstate 10 bridge over Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain ruined by Hurricane Katrina.

Results: Intimidated by the power of Appropriations Chairman Stevens, who angrily threatens to resign if he doesn’t get his way, the Senate votes 82-15 to deny the funds to Louisiana and the Katrina victims who need the bridge.

Senator John McCain, a longtime opponent of Stevens and the Bridge to Nowhere, is not in the Senate the day Coburn brings up his amendment, but is well on record as opposing the Alaska bridge. His relationship with Stevens over the issue of earmarks has been explosive.
Senators Obama and Biden vote for this Stevens earmark — against giving the Bridge to Nowhere money to the Katrina victims who need their bridge rebuilt

Seems that The O-and-Savior (and Sancho) could have voted with Coburn on this one and not exactly endangered the bridge in Alaska.

Instead, they dumped on NOLA.

Wrong "community" I guess.

HT: Southern Appeal

2 comments:

Emily said...

Um, that bill had a lot more in it than just the famous bridge. Also, only one person voted "nay" - so if we're pointing fingers, we're pointing them at the whole Senate.

Also, it's worth noting what Obama has done for New Orleans.

I'm glad McCain came out against the bridge earmark--he deserves credit for that. Palin? Not so much.

Dad29 said...

Not quite, Emily.

The article refers to the very specific Coburn Amendment--NOT to the overall appropriations bill.