Thursday, June 28, 2007
Barney Frank gets rough with Patrick McHenry
Poor Representative McPipsqueak. I KNOW folks in Patrick McHenry's office read my blog. Hey guys!(See the story on his aide being arrested for voter fraud here.)
Flake screws McHenryRepublican Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona — with the help of plenty of Democrats — just screwed his GOP colleague Patrick McHenry out of earmarked money for a project in the latter's western North Carolina district.
It is the first amendment Flake has ever passed to strip money from the annual spending bills.
"Congressman Flake didn't think he'd bring down his first earmark with friendly fire," remarked his spokesman Matthew Specht.
Flake succeeded by winning over Democrats who usually vote against him. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) explained why he had made an exception in this case.
"It was resentment over his hypocrisy in leading the fight against earmarks and then offering one of lesser value," Frank said. "I think penalizing hypocrisy is a legitimate response in politics."
Many Democrats have a particular dislike for McHenry's biting floor speeches. Flake's amendment gave them an opportunity for revenge.
