[Volokh] Jonathan Adler: Young Is What's Wrong with the GOP:

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Jonathan Adler:
Young Is What's Wrong with the GOP:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_06_01-2008_06_07.shtml#1212845504


   The Club for Growth's Pat Toomey [1]explains why his organization is
   opposing the re-election of Congressman Don Young (R-AK).

     Over his 35 years in Congress, Mr. Young made himself into the most
     powerful Republican on the House Transportation Committee. But
     instead of using his power to steer Republicans down a principled,
     conservative track, he helped derail the GOP train in 2006.

     Mr. Young spends taxpayer money so wastefully he could make a
     liberal Democrat blush. As chairman of the Transportation Committee
     (from 2001 to 2007), Mr. Young was directly responsible for one of
     the biggest boondoggles of the Republican majority â the 2005
     highway bill. With a price tag of $296 billion, the highway bill
     contained a record 6,371 pork projects. . . .

     During his time in Congress, Mr. Young has come to represent the
     worst of a Republican Party that became too comfortable in power.
     In 1995, a Republican majority passed a budget that actually cut
     spending. Today, only 40 Republicans out of 248 GOP senators and
     representatives have sworn off earmarks, despite overwhelming
     support for earmark reform among the party's base and the general
     public.

     Just 12 years ago, the Republican Caucus, including Mr. Young,
     voted for a bill to phase out farm subsidies. Three weeks ago, Mr.
     Young and many of those same members voted for a farm bill that
     exemplifies everything the GOP once stood against. Somewhere
     between then and now, many congressional Republicans abandoned
     their former commitment to limited government, fiscal discipline
     and economic freedom.

   I wish Toomey luck in unseating Congressman Young.

References

   1. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121270989481150353.html