Hey, I used to think Representative Bud Schuster was the master of bribing his colleagues with the promise of pork or blackmailing them with the threat of its removal in order to get the high spending, high-taxing legislative action that he wanted.
Well, move over, Bud. Bob Byrd wants a shot at the title. Yeah, turns out the senior senator from West Virginia tried to put the squeeze on fellow Democrats when it looked like some of them might vote yes to the Bush tax cut plan. Byrd told them in so many words, look you . . . you . . . you craven bipartisan bums . . . don’t you dare give the taxpayers of this country any kind of break!! If you vote for the Bush tax-trim plan so as to let your constituents keep a tiny bit more of their take-home pay, I will make darn sure that you don’t get all the pork you want for your district!!! Your pet spending projects will be hacked and slashed!! Lions and tigers and bears and Byrds, oh my!
First, Byrd delivered his threat behind closed doors. Then the Senator proved he really meant what he said by repeating his threat on the Senate floor. Here’s what he said (this is a direct quote now): “‘Let me say to my colleagues, if you vote for this budget conference report, don’t come to the watering hole.” Watering hole. Charming metaphor, that. But fortunately for the American taxpayer, the five or six colleagues in question ignored Senator Byrd’s twittering . . . and voted to give us back some more of our own money anyway.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.