Congressman John Carney’s Fraudulent Fiscal Conservatism
Today, Congressman Carney took to Facebook to burnish his cred in the Fiscal Austerity Games, to tell us all that he was named as one of the “Fiscal Heros” of the front group Fix the Debt (Senators Carper and Coons are in this group, too):
I’m humbled to have been named one of Fix the Debt’s Fiscal Heroes, but there is much more work to be done. For far too long, both Democrats and Republicans have spent trillions of dollars the nation didn’t have. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make the tough decisions necessary to put the country on better fiscal footing.
Unfortunately, Congressman Carney just voted YES to authorize the FY 2015 National Defense Authorization bill — a bill that specifically INCREASES the budget for the DoD. Increases DOD programs over the objections of the DoD:
- Keeping the A-10 Warthog (a vehicle no DOD agency wants)
- the Army cannot shrink its force
- Apache helicopters can’t be moved from the National Guard to the Army
- Prohibits another round of BRAC
would give the services billions in order to refuel the aircraft carrier George Washington, develop missile defenses with Israel, buy EA-18G aircraft and upgrade Abrams tanks — projects not budgeted in the Obama administration’s 2015 Pentagon spending request.
The bill would shift $796.2 million to refuel the GW and maintain an 11-carrier fleet, $450 million for five EA-18Gs, $348 million for the “Israeli Cooperative Missile Defense” program, $800 million for the Navy’s amphibious ship program and $120 million for the Abrams upgrades.
The House’s version of the NDAA also denies funding to implement protections against climate change for DOD facilities. It doesn’t matter that the DOD is doing this not just to maintain their capabilities, but also to protect expensive taxpayer assets. And, if you don’t know, the DOD really is at the forefront of dealing with climate change issues, too. They get the threat of something like sea level rise to Naval bases.
There were plenty of tough choices (not enough, really, but a start) on an overcommitment to defense spending made in the budget the DOD produced and the House couldn’t live with even this small bit of fiscal conservatism.
And John Carney voted for *this* — MORE SPENDING — rather than stand with the people who got the message that less spending was necessary.
But, as you can also see, he was able to save the cyber security mission of the DE National Guard, so I guess that some spending is better than others. There’s nothing about Fixing the Debt in voting to continue to spend money that even the DOD doesn’t want.
Tags: Bamboozled!, Featured, Fix the Debt, John Carney
“I’m humbled to continue to be one of Pete Peterson’s harem girls.”
What a joke.
Still haven’t caught up to the fact that Delaware elects “moderate republicans from the 80’s” calling themselves Democrats in statewide elections?
The unintended consequence of one party rule and registered voter dominance is you can’t fire these incumbents. Especially if you sit on the sidelines during a primary or when a third party candidate comes along.
The state is so blue we should be sending a Bernie Sanders, instead we get “moderates” making sure banks and lawyers still get theirs.
Still haven’t caught up to the fact that we pretty regularly critique this guy who is only concerned with the semiotics of fiscal conservatism?
Looking forward to you running against Carney, though.
By “looking forward to you running against Carney” you can only mean sitting on the sidelines throwing rocks or doing nothing.
Like when Carper had a primary and a third party candidate.
Since everyone else on here has YEARS more experience in pointing out Carneys policy flaws, I defer to you to challenge Carney.
Alex Pires is really your answer…? Democrats have allowed people like Carney, Carper and Coons to make a mockery out of the Dem brand. Imagine Carney saying, “I simply don’t like black people.” Or, “Homosexuality is a sin against God.”
When we get as serious about treating “fiscal conservatism” the way we excommunicate people for anti-gay and racial bigotry – then we’ll get somewhere.
No, I mean looking forward to evaluating your policies and campaign they way we did the others. Throwing guantlets is pretty damned stupid when you should be showing us the way — since you are so clear there is one. and while you’re at it, please start a blog that will support a third party or inept candidate to electoral victory. Show us how it’s done. You don’t have much time left for Carney, but holla at us when you start up and we’ll get you on the blogroll.
“The Campaign to Fix the Debt is the latest incarnation of a decades-long effort by former Nixon man turned Wall Street billionaire Pete Peterson to slash earned benefit programs such as Social Security and Medicare under the guise of fixing the nation’s “debt problem.” Through this special report — and in partnership with The Nation magazine — the Center for Media and Democracy exposes the funding, the leaders, the partner groups, and phony state “chapters” of this astroturf supergroup,” whose goal is to achieve a grand bargain on austerity by July 4, 2013.”
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Portal:Fix_the_Debt
At least there is no DE state chapter.