Thune

Thune Says GOP Now Wants To Make Sure Spending For Iraq And Afghanistan Wars Is Offset (H/T – Helga)

l3wis June 18, 2010 7Comments

Since the Republicans lost control of Congress and the White House, they have conveniently decided it’s time to rein in spending after helping President Bush bequeath the current administration with a more than $1 trillion deficit.

Part of that campaign has been to target the once sacrosanct emergency war funding. Republicans made a fuss last year because the war funding bill contained money for the IMF. Last month, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) said war funding needs to be paid for. Today on ABC’s Top Line, Sen. John Thune (R-ND) indicated that most Republicans are starting tohold this view:

THUNE: Republicans are increasingly, I think, dug in on the issue of making sure that new spending is offset. … Frankly, I think that there is even a growing consensus among Republicans that we need to start budgeting for this, we need to start figuring out how to pay for it. And I think that’s kind of the majority view among Republicans now.

Watch it

The Huffington Post’s Ryan Grim has noted the obvious hypocrisy here:

The indecision on the vote from Coburn’s colleagues is a stark contrast from the wars’ early years, when President Bush’s war supplementals flew through GOP-controlled Congresses and any opposition was portrayed as unpatriotic. Cries of “Support The Troops!” met any lawmaker who questioned the direction or the purpose of either the Iraq or Afghanistan war.

Indeed, during the spend-with-no-consequence Bush administration days, Thune praised Congress whenever it passed non-offset emergency war funding. “This critical supplemental funding gives our troops and diplomats the important tools they need to spread freedom abroad and strengthen our security at home,” Thune said in 2005. Thune even cheered an emergency supplemental with unrelated funding for drought assistance in 2007.

On Top Line, Thune seemed to recognize the contradiction and justified the previous GOP support for emergency war funding. “Republicans in the past have viewed Iraq and Afghanistan and the war effort as something that truly is an emergency,” he said, adding, “although it’s hard to say now that we don’t know what these costs are gonna be.”

Ironic Johnny unopposed, but still a tool

l3wis June 12, 2010 2Comments

While Johnny will be breezing into his next term as our Jr. Se’NO’tor;

It’s official. Sen. John Thune will run unopposed this year.

Mark St. Pierre of Pine Ridge had sought to challenge Thune as an independent. He turned in petitions before the Tuesday deadline, but Kea Warne, the state’s elections supervisor, reports that St. Pierre fell short of the 3,356 signatures he needed to qualify for the ballot. He was apparently short by more than 400, Warne said.

Lester Benson, a guy who was in the office last week saying he had enough labor support to make the ballot, apparently also fell short in his quest. Last time I saw him, Benson was off to a bowling alley to collect signatures.

The rumor on the street is that God intervened and made sure John was unopposed. In a recent interview, God said;

“Washington just isn’t full enough of contradictory, lying, hypocritical, self-serving politicians – Washington needs more John Thunes.”

Ironic Johnny; What you don’t know can’t hurt yah

l3wis May 27, 2010 4Comments

Seems Ironic Johnny has watched one too many episodes of MASH

Even though dozens of top US military officials and other developed countries support openly gay soldiers, John Thune once again just can’t accept reality;

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Thune is labeling as “reckless” efforts by President Obama and some Democrats to overturn the law that bans openly gay men and women from serving in the military. Thune said military leaders haven’t properly reviewed its effect on troop morale.

On the eve of a vote by the Armed Services Committee – on which the South Dakota Republican serves – Thune told reporters Wednesday that a compromise by the White House to lift the “don’t ask, don’t tell” ban but still give military leaders discretion on how and when to do so would hurt national security.

Even though he doesn’t seem to have a problem with them serving ‘quietly’ – many of which are in the intelligence ranks and interpret Arabic. At least Johnson has a clue;

Sen. Tim Johnson said: “As things stand now, any repeal would go into effect only after the study is completed and military leaders and the president give the go-ahead. Once that happens, I support ending “don’t ask, don’t tell” because any individual who is willing and able to defend our country should be able to do so, regardless of their sexual orientation. My view is shared not only by the administration but top military leaders as well.”

Johnny get your gun (H/T -Helga)

l3wis May 14, 2010 5Comments

Speakers at NRA convention target Washington, midterms, CNN

Speakers at the National Rifle Association’s annual leadership forum on Friday touted Second Amendment rights and also set their sights on the upcoming midterm elections.

Sarah Palin told the crowd in Charlotte, North Carolina, that the “lamestream media” is using propaganda to make guns seem more dangerous — and not the criminals behind them.

“Criminals, of course, are to blame for crimes. It’s the bad guys, not the piece of metal, that’s to blame,” she told the crowd. “Anti-Second Amendment gun laws don’t offend them [criminals] — they don’t care what kind of gun laws are passed.”

…

Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, told the crowd there are two competing visions about the future of the country.

“One consists of more government and less freedom, and one consists of less government and more freedom,” he said. “And right now, unfortunately, the prevailing vision in Washington D.C. is that of government. More and more government.”

Barbour, Palin and Thune are among those considered possible GOP presidential nominees in 2012.

Thune talks about More Government? Hardy, Har, Har, Har. This is the same guy who proposed the largest Federal loan to a private company in the history of our country long before the recession and TARP to a company he lobbied for before he was a senator, DM & E Railroad.

If his hypocrisy wasn’t so hilarious it would be pathetic. Wait. It is pathetic.