There is a growing list of online rightwing bloggers, the
"Pork Busters" they call themselves, campaigning for new ethics in Washington, and they are calling for John Shadegg's election as GOP House Leader to spearhead the movement. Here are the original
sinners
signers:
N.Z. Bear, The Truth Laid Bear
Hugh Hewitt, HughHewitt.com
Glenn Reynolds, Instapundit.com
Kevin Aylward, Wizbang!
La Shawn Barber, La Shawn Barber's Corner
Lorie Byrd, Polipundit
Jeff Goldstein, Protein Wisdom
John Hawkins, Right Wing News
John Hinderaker, Power Line
Jon Henke / McQ / Dale Franks, QandO
James Joyner, Outside The Beltway
Mike Krempasky, Redstate.org
Michelle Malkin, MichelleMalkin.com
Ed Morrissey, Captain's Quarters
Scott Ott, Scrappleface
John Donovan / Bill Tuttle, Castle Argghhh!!!
Boy are they stupid. (I think they may be somehow affiliated with the Open Pajamas crowd). Remember, Republican "moderate" Shadegg is the man who called Michael Moore "the Anti-Christ" and said Kerry supporters are mentally ill, among other idiotic things I'll get into today.
More on the flip.
Here is the "Pork Buster
Manifesto":
January 13, 2006
PORKBUSTERS UPDATE: Here's a joint statement by a number of bloggers on the House leadership election:
-----
We are bloggers with boatloads of opinions, and none of us come close to agreeing with any other one of us all of the time. But we do agree on this: The new leadership in the House of Representatives needs to be thoroughly and transparently free of the taint of the Jack Abramoff scandals, and beyond that, of undue influence of K Street.
We are not naive about lobbying, and we know it can and has in fact advanced crucial issues and has often served to inform rather than simply influence Members.
But we are certain that the public is disgusted with excess and with privilege. We hope the Hastert-Dreier effort leads to sweeping reforms including the end of subsidized travel and other obvious influence operations. Just as importantly, we call for major changes to increase openness, transparency and accountability in Congressional operations and in the appropriations process.
As for the Republican leadership elections, we hope to see more candidates who will support these goals, and we therefore welcome the entry of Congressman John Shadegg to the race for Majority Leader. We hope every Congressman who is committed to ethical and transparent conduct supports a reform agenda and a reform candidate. And we hope all would-be members of the leadership make themselves available to new media to answer questions now and on a regular basis in the future.
Signed,
[The People Who Said We'd Be Greeted With Flowers and Delicious Candies]
Okey dokey then.
Tom Delay's November indictment required him (by his own GOP Contract for America) to step down as Leader of the House. The GOP House rules were changed to allow Delay to stay on, however, and here is future House Leader and Pork Buster darling John Shadegg defending this corrupt, ridiculous decision in a letter to the Arizona Republic. Check out this tortured logic:
No one can disagree with the principle that guided Republicans in 1994 when they voted to require members of Congress to live under the same laws as everyone else. Unfortunately, the rule, which House Republicans changed this month, adopted before 1994 applied a different and unfair standard to House Republican leaders, automatically removing them from their positions if indicted.
So it's unfair to require Congress to live under the same laws as everyone else.
Arizona does not have such a rule for members of its Legislature or the governor. Local governments do not have such a rule, nor do most, if any, American corporations. Churches do not have such a rule for their leaders. . .
After his indictment, former Gov. Fife Symington remained in office. Similarly, Martha Stewart was not automatically removed from the board of her corporation and did not resign until after her conviction.
Even the U.S. Constitution does not require a president impeached for "high crimes and misdemeanors" to step down pending his trial in the Senate.
Even Martha Stewart did not step down.
Well at least Shadegg isn't caught up in the Abramoff scandal.