Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

  • Shop
  • Subscribe to BMG
  • Contact
  • Log In
  • Front Page
  • All Posts
  • About
  • Rules
  • Events
  • Register on BMG

Taxpayer funded politcal operatives?

July 8, 2008 By Mr. Lynne

Henry Waxman had an interesting thing to say in “The Hill”

“Can you imagine the reaction if each member of Congress had a campaign person paid for with taxpayer dollars?”

Apparently he’s considering legislation to ban federal funding of purely political staff.

On the other hand:

“The notion of taking politics out of governing is silly,” said Rich Galen, a GOP strategist, in reference to Waxman. “I understand what he’s getting at, but Rove would have had the influence he had no matter what his title was and what his duties were.”

Thoughts?  Is it ok for taxpayers to fund a (necessarily) partisan and purely political staff position?  Of course it’s a given that staffers (as well as office holders) may be partisan, but is it ok if the only purpose of the job is to be political and partisan?

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0
0

Filed Under: User Tagged With: government, henry-waxman, house-of-representatives, karl-rove

Comments

  1. joeltpatterson says

    July 8, 2008 at 12:39 pm

    Rove had no restraint.

  2. ryepower12 says

    July 8, 2008 at 2:20 pm

    So not only do I think it’s okay, I think it’s a fantastic idea… so long as it also means the end of big money.  

  3. centralmassdad says

    July 8, 2008 at 3:08 pm

    This is dumb.  Every Congressman/woman is a politician 100% of the time.  Their staff are politicians 100% of the time.  Policy is politics.

    <

    p>All this proposal would do is create another bunch of useless paperwork and another bunch of bureaucrats to scutinize the useless paperwork, pretending to discern some difference between political and non-political.

    <

    p>This strikes me as the electoral college proposal does: post-hoc rationalization of how Democrats managed to get themselves so thoroughly pantsed by Bush and Rove for 7 straight years. It wasn’t our fault; everything was unfair!  See how we fixed it?

    • david says

      July 8, 2008 at 3:16 pm

      I tend to agree with you on the merits of this proposal.  But National Popular Vote is (or at least should be) an utterly bipartisan, true “good government” move.  Let the guy or gal with the most votes across the country be president.  How can you seriously argue with that?

      • johnd says

        July 9, 2008 at 12:33 pm

        Like you said, how can you seriously argue with that? I mean, if someone is President and the people want him/her to stay President, why not? Why have this artificial rule prohibiting a President from be re-elected over and over and over. Just as American and the NPV… right?

    • judy-meredith says

      July 8, 2008 at 5:44 pm

      Politics is the process policy makers use to make policy that determines who gets what, where, when and how. A standard definition that applies to private policy makers in the workplace(who gets the new computers first) and in families (who gets to use the car on Saturday night.)

      <

      p>Sometimes policy makers in the public and private sectors consider all relevant information before they decide, sometimes they don’t.

      <

      p>At least parents have the ultimate luxury of being able to get away with saying “because I said so that’s why.” For awhile anyway. I could get away with it until they were five and they started the “yeahbuts” to try to make my arbitrary and  authoritarian decisions more transparent.      

      • centralmassdad says

        July 10, 2008 at 9:03 am

        Policy is what politicians use to decide who gets what, when and how.  In other words, policy is what politicians use to see that people who vote for them get goodies.  In other words, policy is politics.  

  4. sabutai says

    July 8, 2008 at 4:58 pm

    Only if taxpayers fund political operatives for all would-be challengers to the president.  This is another case of incumbency protection — paying for political staff for the president, but not any governor, senator, etc., who may want to go after him.

    <

    p>Of course all public policymakers are politicians…but there are strict and arcane rules about separating the two roles, unless you’re already the most visible politician of them all.

Recommended Posts

  • No posts liked yet.

Recent User Posts

Predictions Open Thread

December 22, 2022 By jconway

This is why I love Joe Biden

December 21, 2022 By fredrichlariccia

Garland’s Word

December 19, 2022 By terrymcginty

Some Parting Thoughts

December 19, 2022 By jconway

Beware the latest grift

December 16, 2022 By fredrichlariccia

Thank you, Blue Mass Group!

December 15, 2022 By methuenprogressive

Recent Comments

  • blueeyes on Beware the latest griftSo where to, then??
  • Christopher on Some Parting ThoughtsI've enjoyed our discussions as well (but we have yet to…
  • Christopher on Beware the latest griftI can't imagine anyone of our ilk not already on Twitter…
  • blueeyes on Beware the latest griftI will miss this site. Where are people going? Twitter?…
  • chrismatth on This site (will be disabled on) December 31, 2022I joined BMG late - 13 years ago next month and three da…
  • SomervilleTom on Geopolitics of FusionEVERY un-designed, un-built, and un-tested technology is…
  • Charley on the MTA on This site (will be disabled on) December 31, 2022That’s a great idea, and I’ll be there on Sunday. It’s a…

Archive

@bluemassgroup on Twitter

#mapoli

activate_media Activate Media @activate_media ·
17m

GOOD MORNING BOSTON
43°
partly cloudy
feels like: 39°f
wind: 7mph ne
humidity: 69%
pressure: 30.43"hg
THU 57/45°F
FRI 54/36°F
SAT 41/39°F
Activate Radio http://activatemedia.org
#boston #cambridge #worcester #lowell #nyc #manchester #providence #portland #bospoli #mapoli

Reply on Twitter 1638522774527303680 Retweet on Twitter 1638522774527303680 Like on Twitter 1638522774527303680 Twitter 1638522774527303680
progressivemass Progressive Mass @progressivemass ·
35m

What’s Progressive and What’s Not in Gov. Healey’s Tax Proposal #mapoli https://www.progressivemass.com/whats-progressive-and-whats-not-in-gov-healeys-tax-proposal/

Reply on Twitter 1638518279529545729 Retweet on Twitter 1638518279529545729 2 Like on Twitter 1638518279529545729 3 Twitter 1638518279529545729
nfgim NoFrackedGasInMass - @NFGiM@mastodon.energy @nfgim ·
39m

Why are MA ratepayers continuing to pay gas companies like Eversource to expand? Join me in signing this petition to @MassGovernor to declare no future for gas by Earth Day https://bit.ly/NoFutureForGas4MA #mapoli #NoFutureForGas4MA #ClimateCantWait #GasIsExpensive #GasIsThePast

Reply on Twitter 1638517274280591365 Retweet on Twitter 1638517274280591365 Like on Twitter 1638517274280591365 1 Twitter 1638517274280591365
mysteriousrook Ed Lyons @mysteriousrook ·
46m

Oh…. Mr. Holden town leader…. what you do not understand is that MBTA Communities is not just a housing law, but a survey of resistance.

In ten years, your town will have lost its control over housing. Over this decade, #mapoli will slowly re-establish control of all zoning.

Rus Lodi @ruslodi

Losing local control of zoning was a major sticking point in the discussions.

“We’re not saying we’re against multifamily housing. We’re going to grow — it’s saying we’re not going to be strongarmed into something by the state," said one member. 2/7

Reply on Twitter 1638515687495815168 Retweet on Twitter 1638515687495815168 Like on Twitter 1638515687495815168 2 Twitter 1638515687495815168
incorruptibl_ma IncorruptibleMass @incorruptibl_ma ·
52m

While you may feel the urge to donate to other states’ progressive movements, you will have greater impact donating locally to organizations. Help nonprofits such as Incorruptible Mass movement build our reach with your contribution today at http://incorruptiblemass.org/membership!
#mapoli

Reply on Twitter 1638514009170124800 Retweet on Twitter 1638514009170124800 Like on Twitter 1638514009170124800 Twitter 1638514009170124800
dembinskis Jennifer Debin @dembinskis ·
1h

Metco advocates lobby lawmakers to increase spending for program https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/03/21/metro/metco-advocates-lobby-lawmakers-increase-spending-program/?event=event25 via @BostonGlobe #maedu #mapoli

Reply on Twitter 1638511709848498177 Retweet on Twitter 1638511709848498177 Like on Twitter 1638511709848498177 1 Twitter 1638511709848498177
Load More

From our sponsors




Google Calendar







Search

Archives

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter




Copyright © 2023 Owned and operated by BMG Media Empire LLC. Read the terms of use. Some rights reserved.