Thursday, January 8, 2009

Enter Goode pun here

The Danville Register & Bee notes that many of the last minute earmarks promised by Goode may not actually be forthcoming. Goode had several earmarks attached to the last Congress' final omnibus bill, but Congress expired before the omnibus bill was passed. Of course, because the bill expired, those earmarks cannot be honored and funded. Before his term ended, Goode took a media tour around the district trumpeting his final bacon-bearing actions as a congressman, and now Rep. Perriello has to send his new district representative, Ridge Schulyer, to each earmark-promised institution with potentially heart-breaking news.

This is shady. Goode travels the district promising earmarks one week before his term expires, knowing Congress was in recess and, therefore, couldn't pass the bill. And now Rep. Perriello has to break the bad news and clean up the mess.

Update: I might have jumped the gun. According to a Martinsville Bulletin editorial, there may still be a chance the earmarks can be passed:
The funds are not guaranteed. They are in the omnibus conference report package, which includes all appropriations not passed before Congress went into recess in October. The report will go before the House, Senate and president after Barack Obama’s inauguration, and legislators will have to vote yes or no on the entire package. The package cannot be amended, and Rep. Goode said he is confident it will pass.
Late Update: Rarely do these omnibus packages get voted down:
Since all of the outstanding bills, plus the earmarks, have been combined, it will be an all-or-nothing vote by the House and Senate. While it is possible for the omnibus to be voted down, such a vote is rare, Hing said, because the earmarks have already been approved by subcommittees and committees, and a “no” vote would send everything back to the beginning.

6 comments:

Katie said...

Virgil no-Goode, so-called Virgil B. Goode, Virgil's not so Goode-year...

...ah, it's like a never-ending vernacular buffet.

Anonymous said...

Goode or no Goode the affect is the same, the Southside got screwed.

Anonymous said...

What's the difference between God and Virgil Goode?

God doesn't think he's Virgil Goode.

Anonymous said...

Goode for the goose, the gander, not so much.

Drew said...

The most overused in the blogosphere: "Goode Grief" and "Goode Riddance"

Anonymous said...

I think you meant "jumped the gun." That is when you speak too soon.

If you had "jumped the shark," that means you are no longer relevant.