"House Republicans praised the Democrats for taking this key step but are considering swearing off the practice. "We're going to have to make a decision," House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) told his colleagues at a closed-door meeting Wednesday, according to one attendee. "Are we really willing to put it all on the line to win this thing?"

They have scheduled a special gathering Thursday to debate whether they are willing, on their own, to not seek any earmarks. Previous efforts by Republicans -- who oversaw the dramatic inflation of the use of earmarks during their 12-year majority -- have failed"
=============

What's that barn door and cat bag thing.

I hope they do better than they did on that "PAY GO" thing.

meaningless posturing that will be circumvented before it has any effect if it even passes at all...

didn't the sc just pass a ruling that allows corporations to buy politicians outright.... OH YEAH THEY DID!!!

end the corporate person.

anything less is political chicanery.

Good, this will piss the tea baggers off more then anyone else. If it wasn't for no bid contracts they too will have to play by the rules.

This is great news, hopefully they stick to it.

All for it---but there's this little voice over my shoulder that says to watch the action but not the words.

Now if they could only ban things like... Hmmmm

"It was 300 Million Not 100 Million"

Giving huge state contracts to relatives and friends...

Groping Male Interns...

Groping any Interns...

Pork In general...

Beans too.....

Communism

Socialism

Government Health Care...

Barney Frank.....

Nasty Pelosi.....

Al "I thought I was Right, but I made a lot of money anyway, even though I know I'm Wrong" Gore....

Oh, I forgot to mention, now the tea baggers will have one more illogical argument to insinuate that Obama is not doing what he promised. This will just make it easier to show them what liars they have all become.

House Dems Ban No-Bid Contractor Earmarksm

Looks as though the Bush years have truly come to an end.

Starting WARS will no longer be the lucrative business enterprise it was when GWB was in office.

This will just make it easier to show them what liars they have all become.

And ringo knows a liar when he sees one!

I like this very much.

But will this make it harder to hire someone who might be the only option and there is limited time?

Good try, but it won't accomplish anything.

now the tea baggers will have one more illogical argument to insinuate that Obama is not doing what he promised

This was proposed in the House of Representatives. Is Obama serving there? If not, what has he done to support or drive this legislation?

Why do they even bother to pass stuff like this...

...if there is no chance they will follow it?

I was for the no-bid ban before I was against it...

I wonder if it is as easy to override as the "Pay As You Go" rule....

This was proposed in the House of Representatives. Is Obama serving there? If not, what has he done to support or drive this legislation?

#13 | Posted by JOE

For the very first time there is transparency and 'earmarks' are online so anyone can see who asked for them and who they went to.

Oh, I forgot to mention, now the tea baggers will have one more illogical argument to insinuate that Obama is not doing what he promised.

Okay... What has Obama done so far that he said he would... Can you list the items please..

Thanks... Sorry I just haven't been paying attention...

You can list them so I'll know and then I shall insinuate never more...

If you could just list them.... Ya know I'm a slow guy.. A little dumb and stupid.... So help me out please.

Too bad they didn't think about this maybe a little sooner?

"banned...no-bid contracts to private contractors"

So when was the last time it was banned.

What has Obama done so far that he said he would... Can you list the items please..

Thanks... Sorry I just haven't been paying attention...

No shit,sherlock. You've probably been busy hunting for Obama's Kenyan birth certifcate or enumerating all the WMD that Bush found in Iraq,right?

Shall we start with the m/c tax cuts, the stimulus pacaage, SCOTUS appointments, Iraq wind-down, remembering the afghan war.....

Too bad they didn't think about this maybe a little sooner?

Could say the same thing for the GOPpers, only six years earlier, but since Boner can't decide whether to support this, it's clear the right hates no no-bid contracts almost as much as it hates America.

Does anybody present actually understand how the 'no-bid' process works?

Going further, does anyone present understand why the Clinton administration tapped the services of that devilish entitiy known as Haliburton (in a no-bid fashion) during his forays into Somalia?

Jesus.

Our media is such an utter failure - it's no wonder why their market-share is dropping precipitously.

#22 | Posted by northguy3 at 2010-03-10 08:17 PM |

I believe it was the dems who ran on no earmarks when they were trying to re-gain the majority. Of course once they were in, suddenly it became no "new" earmarks. Much like Obama's promise to cut lobbyist influence. As you know more lobby money was spent last year in history.

Let us do a countdown to see how many days until they violate it -- just like pPayGo.

pPayGo=PayGo

As corrupt and fucked up as BOTH parties are, this is an example of why I will take a corrupt democrat over a corrupt republican.
Every now and then, the dems attempt to do something right. (Of course it usually gets blocked by the other party.)
The repubs on the other hand, NEVERmdo anything that serves the interests of the people over the interests of their corporate masters.

For the very first time there is transparency

#16 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2010-03-10 07:18 PM | Reply | Flag:

And it only took 14 months to provide one tiny, little sliver of transparency -- a fragment of one promise.

At this rate, Obama will complete his 2008 agenda by, oh, say, his 44th term in office

Bullshit. Budgets and bills have been online since Obama's Presidency began.

Nobody'll ever touch George and Big Dick's record of $hundreds of $billions in no-bid contracts funneled to their friends....

A great idea.

Let's see if thy actually stick to it.

By this point it's kinda like shutting the barn door after the horse has escaped but wot the hey, better late than never.

Be Well.

Good, this will piss the tea baggers off more then anyone else. If it wasn't for no bid contracts they too will have to play by the rules.

#4 | Posted by RingMaster

Ringmaster,

You need to know something about the Tea Party grassroots movement before you can comment on it, right?

How ignorant could you be about this group of people? The Tea Party movement is a loose grass roots movement that probably started with Ron Paul calling for fiscal responsibility in the 2008 election -- mostly against George Bush and the upcoming McCain. It started many years before that, but got traction in the spring of 2008 when Ron Paul gave the idea of protesting in front of your local IRS office. It quickly turned into a "Tea Party" -- taxation without representation.

The movement has evolved, but the name stuck. However, the main thrust of the movement is to bring attention to the fiscal irresponsibility in Washington.

So Ringmaster, knowing that now, WTF does "Good, this will piss the tea baggers off more then anyone else." mean?

This current phony rule by the out-of-touch party Democratic leadership that can't govern is simply a concocted bit of insulting window dressing designed to placate voters who the they think are as malleable as silly putty and who had have IQ's at the level of a radish . It's a closing the barn door thing like #1 MMIKE says.

Good, this will piss the tea baggers off more then anyone else. If it wasn't for no bid contracts they too will have to play by the rules.

#4 | Posted by RingMaster

They arn't doing away with 'no bid' contratcs. They are doing away with the 'earmarks' for them.

I report, you decide.

Banned No-bid earmarks? So the Democrats found a way to a) make it look like they're showing transparency b) make it look like they're fiscally conscientious c) stick it to corporations and d) stick it to the Pentagon.

I have to admit, it was a masterstroke. NOW, can someone in the media determine how much money we're actually talking about? AND tell me if they were earmarks or simply no-bid contracts.

The real question is: How come they didn't address earmarks to states or state/federal social programs? Or art projects at airports? Or 'urban improvement' programs? Or 'scientific studies of the mating habits of the yellow-speckled teeter-ass? How about banning earmarks FOR EVERYBODY? If someone were to ask me if I could make one decision as King of America, I'd eliminate they way our bills are amended with unrelated bullshit like earmarks, designed to sell bad ideas to self-serving politicians. This scratch-my-back and I'll scratch yours crap has got to END.

You have to read ALL the words, not just the ones you like or dislike. Words have meaning.

Earmarks arn't going away and no bid contracts are not going away.

Earmarks arn't going away and no bid contracts are not going away.

We'll see about earmarks.

The Pentagon is completely overhauling their contracting process. Gates had a press conference about that not too long ago.

LOL, didn't they also pass PayGo? Then the very next bill it was needed in, they wrote in exemptions. As Brwio says "who would vote against it", as I add "because it does mean a damn thing".

It is a nice talking point, and looks good on the voting record, but look for exemptions.

The Democrats are currently are just issuing "press release" bills. They don't actually mean what they say, or say what they mean.

I guess you think the only place in the government that has 'no-bid' contracts is the DOD?

If you think a politician that wants to get re-elected isn't going to do favors (earmarks)to large doners you are nuckin futs.

DOD is our largest user of no-bid contracts. It's also the largest single slice of our budget outside SS.

I take that back. It is THE largest item in our federal budget.

DOD is our largest user of no-bid contracts.

#40 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY

How does that change what I said about 'no bid' contracts?

Whatever, SNIPER

The government takes bids for infrastructure projects, custodial work, procurement of gas and maintenance on government vehicles, tires, office supplies, equipment, and most other goods and services in every area but defense.

DOD is by far the dominant user of 'no bid contracts' - supposedly because national defense is at stake. They change their methods and whatever miniscule 'no bid contracts' that occur elsewhere in the federal government will change their procurement methods.

Let's hope in this age of deficits and debt we're going to clean out wasteful procurement practices wherever they occur.

I spent many years working for a private contractor in the DOE world. There were MANY no bid contracts issued every year.

There are many typs of contracts issued by the government. Some of them are blanket type contracts and are are added too with NEW work. I don't care what YOU call that, it's NO BID! Many contracts are issued as a sole source contract which is also a no bid. I could go on for an hour but I won't bore you with actual facts.

"The movement has evolved, but the name stuck."

Evolved???
If that's what you want to call the reaction to the election of our first black president fine, but I think I'd call it something else.

"The movement has evolved, but the name stuck."

Evolved???
If that's what you want to call the reaction to the election of our first black president fine, but I think I'd call it something else.

#46 | Posted by danni

What?

Danni, Pelosi isn't black. Last time I looked Harry Reid is as white as white can be!!!

Here's a hint, Danni. When you call someone a racist, the conversation is over. You lose.

It ain't about black and white anymore.

It's all about fiscal responsibility. The sooner you get that, the sooner you will stop looking like a fool.

eddie.. well put

It's all about fiscal responsibility.

Which is why I don't want the fox to run the henhouse again. Last time the GOP did they created over a trillion dollars A YEAR in unfunded liabilities, causing us these massive deficits.