There are 40 Americans this week that owe this country an apology—an apology that has nothing to do with racism or police in the Northeast.
These 40 are from the ranks of our own representatives in the Senate. This past week, in an amazing show of strength against waste in government, the Senate voted to finally say “no” to the problem-plagued, overly-expensive, nearly-universally-unwanted F-22 Raptor.
The issue is pretty clear. The 40 Senators who voted for it can only say that they voted to keep it as a matter of self preservation that puts their continued power above the whole. Each of these Senators should be ashamed.
You do have to give it to Lockheed Martin and Boeing. They figured out long ago that the best way to insure your bottom line with Washington is to make certain your product spreads the wealth. The F-22 contains parts made in 44 different states which makes it very hard to vote against in the self-centered environment of Washington D.C.
I’d really love to grill the Republicans on this list that want to open up their mouths to use the phrase “socialism” to describe health care reform. This is about as hypocritical as it gets. They’re against government money going to provide health care but okay with it providing jobs in their state? Interesting.
For the record here are the 40 (25 Republicans and 15 Democrats. ) who voted to keep this plane around (in State order):
Sessions (R-AL)
Begich (D-AK)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Boxer (D-CA)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Dodd (D-CT)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Martinez (R-FL)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Isakson (R-GA)
Akaka (D-HI)
Inouye (D-HI)
Crapo (R-ID)
Risch (R-ID)
Grassley (R-IA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Roberts (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
McConnell (R-KY)
Vitter (R-LA)
Collins (R-ME)
Snowe (R-ME)
Cochran (R-MS)
Wicker (R-MS)
Baucus (D-MT)
Tester (D-MT)
Johanns (R-NE)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Udall (D-NM)
Burr (R-NC)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Thune (R-SD)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Bennett (R-UT)
Hatch (R-UT)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Murray (D-WA)
Byrd (D-WV)
