{"id":770,"date":"2009-02-17T10:41:54","date_gmt":"2009-02-17T10:41:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/2009\/02\/17\/led-by-the-slaughter\/"},"modified":"2009-02-17T10:41:54","modified_gmt":"2009-02-17T10:41:54","slug":"led-by-the-slaughter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/2009\/02\/17\/led-by-the-slaughter\/","title":{"rendered":"Led BY the Slaughter"},"content":{"rendered":"

There was a great piece in the Feb 15 New York Times<\/a> on the recent drama surrounding a proposed $50 million increase to the National Endowment for the Arts in the stimulus package. In the end, the Coburn Amendment, which I discussed here<\/a>\u00a0and here<\/a> a few days ago, passed overwhelmingly 73-24. From this, we have to conclude there are a lot of ignorant buffoons on both sides of the aisle.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, things turned around in conference, thanks in part to the leadership of Louise Slaughter-<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had the facts on our side<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d said Representative Louise M. Slaughter<\/a>, a New York Democrat who is co-chairwoman of the Congressional Arts Caucus. \u201cIf we\u2019re trying to stimulate the economy, and get money into the Treasury, nothing does that better than art<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I\u2019m sending a thank-you email to Congresswoman Slaughter, and you should too. I\u2019m also going to find out if my senators voted for or against the Coburn amendment, and write them as appropriate. If we don\u2019t stand up for good economics as well as good music, who will?<\/p>\n

Corrente has a great piece<\/a> on the politics of Coburn, from which I take this list of the Dems who supported this<\/p>\n

None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made
\navailable by this Act may be used for any casino or other
\ngambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swim-
\nming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater,
\nart center, and highway beautification project.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

Baucus (D-MT), Yea
\nBayh (D-IN), Yea
\nBegich (D-AK), Yea
\nBennet (D-CO), Yea
\nBingaman (D-NM), Yea
\nBrown (D-OH), Yea
\nByrd (D-WV), Yea
\nCantwell (D-WA), Yea
\nCardin (D-MD), Yea
\nCarper (D-DE), Yea
\nCasey (D-PA), Yea
\nConrad (D-ND), Yea
\nDorgan (D-ND), Yea
\nFeingold (D-WI), Yea
\nFeinstein (D-CA), Yea
\nJohnson (D-SD), Yea
\nKlobuchar (D-MN), Yea
\nKohl (D-WI), Yea
\nLincoln (D-AR), Yea
\nMcCaskill (D-MO), Yea
\nMerkley (D-OR), Yea
\nMikulski (D-MD), Yea
\nMurray (D-WA), Yea
\nNelson (D-FL), Yea
\nNelson (D-NE), Yea
\nPryor (D-AR), Yea
\nSchumer (D-NY), Yea
\nStabenow (D-MI), Yea
\nTester (D-MT), Yea
\nUdall (D-CO), Yea
\nUdall (D-NM), Yea
\nWarner (D-VA),<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I’m not surprised by the likes of Nelson, Schumer and Feinstein, but for Wisconsin to g 0-fo-2….. Russ- what happened?!?!?!?<\/p>\n