the new senator from wyoming
So John Barrasso has been picked to replace the late Craig Thomas as a Senator from Wyoming. It's interesting to look at what he wrote in his job application to succeed Thomas.
"I believe in limited government, lower taxes, less spending, traditional family values, local control..." okay, we get the gist here. No dramatic breaks with mountain west GOP types already in the Senate expected here.
He continues, "...and a strong national defense." Fortunately, a strong national defense doesn't cost any money so the lower taxes will be easy to arrange, right? Wrong. And a strong national defense doesn't require much in the way of a defense bureaucracy, so no problems there. Wrong.
Continuing, "In the State Senate, in addition to receiving an 'A' rating from the National Rifle Association, I have voted for prayer in schools, against gay marriage and have sponsored legislation to protect the sanctity of life." Surprising that such a conservative guy would be opposed to the death penalty. Oh wait, those actually alive lives aren't what he wants to protect, just the potential lives. Sorry, should have guessed. Also, I wonder whether his commitment to local control would cover allowing some states to permit same-sex marriage? Nah, probably not. He didn't mean local control for sodomites, surely. And I bet his idea of local control wouldn't extend to allowing the District of Columbia to ban handguns.
Barrasso also wants to promote rural health care. I'm for that, too. Folks in rural areas like 99% of Wyoming should have some access to health care. But Senator-to-be Barrasso, I wonder if you will ask for Federal tax dollars* and a Washington DC-based government agency to actually help implement this hope? Because if the free market was going to provide adequate access to health care in such areas, it would have done so already.
Senator Barrasso. Probably a nice guy. But he'll speak out of both sides of his mouth just like most other conservative Republicans do today.
*Remember, Federal tax dollars come overwhelmingly from states that are not called Wyoming. Surely a true advocate of local control won't stoop to begging for money obtained from Florida and Texas and California and places like that, will he?
"I believe in limited government, lower taxes, less spending, traditional family values, local control..." okay, we get the gist here. No dramatic breaks with mountain west GOP types already in the Senate expected here.
He continues, "...and a strong national defense." Fortunately, a strong national defense doesn't cost any money so the lower taxes will be easy to arrange, right? Wrong. And a strong national defense doesn't require much in the way of a defense bureaucracy, so no problems there. Wrong.
Continuing, "In the State Senate, in addition to receiving an 'A' rating from the National Rifle Association, I have voted for prayer in schools, against gay marriage and have sponsored legislation to protect the sanctity of life." Surprising that such a conservative guy would be opposed to the death penalty. Oh wait, those actually alive lives aren't what he wants to protect, just the potential lives. Sorry, should have guessed. Also, I wonder whether his commitment to local control would cover allowing some states to permit same-sex marriage? Nah, probably not. He didn't mean local control for sodomites, surely. And I bet his idea of local control wouldn't extend to allowing the District of Columbia to ban handguns.
Barrasso also wants to promote rural health care. I'm for that, too. Folks in rural areas like 99% of Wyoming should have some access to health care. But Senator-to-be Barrasso, I wonder if you will ask for Federal tax dollars* and a Washington DC-based government agency to actually help implement this hope? Because if the free market was going to provide adequate access to health care in such areas, it would have done so already.
Senator Barrasso. Probably a nice guy. But he'll speak out of both sides of his mouth just like most other conservative Republicans do today.
*Remember, Federal tax dollars come overwhelmingly from states that are not called Wyoming. Surely a true advocate of local control won't stoop to begging for money obtained from Florida and Texas and California and places like that, will he?
posted by Don Q Blogger at 3:39 AM
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