LIKE PIGS TO THE TROUGH-- REPUBLICANS TEARING EACH OTHER APART OVER PLUM POSITION-- MUSGRAVE JUMPS IN

So many Appropriations Committee members! No coincidence there

What makes Republicans tick? Is it the hatred and bigotry? The fear? The loathing of free will-- ala Ms. Coulter and the rest of the authoritarians in the film adaptation of Philip Pullman's brilliant Dark Materials book, Golden Compass-- or is it something more prosaic, just plain old greed and selfishness. I vote for the last door there (although I heartily recommend the movie) because, at heart, what makes a right-winger a right-winger usually boils down to the uncontrolled avarice and unquenchable lust. And no one practices that better than a professional 24/7 Republican: their political leaders.

Today's Hill carries an hilarious story about the piggy squabbling over the coveted open seat on the Appropriations Committee-- the source of most congressional bribes. (Roger Wicker gave up the seat when he was appointed to fill in in the U.S. Senate for a spell after Trent Lott's official move from Capitol Hill to K Street.)

The funniest part about the bitter and vicious battle is that it pits NRCC Chair Tom Cole, whose job is to try to save the necks of as many endangered Republican rubber stamps as he can, against some of the most endangered rubber stamps who think the only way to save their worthless necks is to get on the Appropriations Committee and start gobbling up bribes. The undercurrent is that the few Republicans who are desperate for their corrupt party to shed the DeLay-Abramoff "Pay to play" Culture of Corruption reputation, are now on the warpath against Cole, Blunt and the rest of the DeLay hold-overs.

The most desperate of the endangered Repugs is Dave Reichert of Washington, who is clearly going to lose his seat to Darcy Burner in November. Goldy at Horsesass.org explains Reichert's dilemma, which has transformed a pitiful cry-- "I need that seat"-- into a call for transparency and accountability. Far right reformer are backing ideologue Jeff Flake (R-AZ) for the seat, who is denouncing his own colleagues as the greedy earmarking swine they are.

Rep. Marilyn Musgrave’s (R-CO) entrance into the contentious battle for the open Appropriations Committee seat pits the House campaign committee chairman against two of his most vulnerable members.

...Musgrave and Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.), who is also seeking the seat, are members of the Regaining Our Majority Program (ROMP), a National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) fundraising effort that is geared toward retaining members who sit in targeted districts.

...NRCC Chairman Tom Cole’s (Okla.) decision to run for the open seat has ruffled feathers inside and outside the Capitol. Some Republicans believe that the coveted seat should go to a vulnerable member of the conference, while other GOP officials and groups are pushing for earmark foe Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.).

Cole’s office declined to comment specifically on the race Tuesday.

...During an interview with The Hill last week, Cole declined to answer questions about his bid for the spending panel.

“I don’t have anything to say about it,” Cole said.

The NRCC spent $1.8 million to defend Musgrave and $2.3 million defending Reichert last cycle. Both members narrowly won reelection and are once again targets for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). [Blue America is strongly backing Darcy Burner for the seat Reichert now holds. Please donate if you can.]

“Tom Cole is challenging his own vulnerable members using the same‘pay to play’ tactics that were a hallmark of the old corrupt GOP majority,” said DCCC spokesman Doug Thornell. “If he gets the appropriations seat, it is further evidence that the legacies of Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay still rule congressional Republicans. Just goes to show you that Republicans can change their leaders but can’t change their culture.”

...In addition to Reichert, Cole, Flake and Musgrave, GOP Reps. Henry Brown Jr. (S.C.), Jo Bonner (Ala.) and Michael Turner (Ohio) declared their intentions to run earlier this month.

Brown, Bonner and Turner just want access to the bribes and don't want to get involved in any philosophical disputes.


UPDATE: GOP TO GIVE REICHERT THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE JOB BECAUSE HE'S THE LEAST QUALIFIED?

In today's Washington Post GOP mouthpiece Bob Novak slams his own part as the The Pork-as-Usual GOP, whining how the Republicans won't give Jeff Flake the open seat on the Appropriations Committee and how they won't put a moratorium on earmarks and pork barrel spending that has become a key to continued GOP dominance in scores of congressional districts.

Republicans are staring into a 2008 election abyss, having lost credibility as upholders of lean government by sponsoring profligate pork-barrel spending during 12 years in the congressional majority. And they have not reformed since the 2006 Democratic takeover. The message out of West Virginia this week predictably will be business as usual.

Rep. Jerry Lewis, the Appropriations Committee's ranking Republican, is leading fellow appropriators against the moratorium. They are joined by the most seriously challenged Republican incumbents, who see political salvation in bringing funds home to their districts, principles be damned.

...The most likely winner of the Appropriations derby will be Rep. Dave Reichert, a former sheriff of King County, Wash., who has not distinguished himself during three years in Congress and gets only a 60 percent rating from the American Conservative Union. His sole qualification appears to be that he is the most endangered Republican House member in 2008 and needs to bring home the bacon to Seattle.

Same old GOP; some things never change!