The news that Denny Rehberg won a spot on the House Appropriations Committee has received scant notice from the other Montana blogs today.
I suggest to you that this is a big deal, and a good thing for the economy of our State. It also suggests the pragmatic (dare I say, purple?) nature of the average Montanan's votes for our Representatives and our Senators.
Of our three delegates to the Congress, two are members of their respective Appropriations Committees, and one is the highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate Finance Committee. What's more, all three are smart, accomplished politicians with a reputation for impeccable constituent service.
For a rural State with a small population, such clout in DC is not an easy thing to accomplish.
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2 comments:
From: Sarpy Sam
I personally didn't think it deserved a mention since all it will lead to is more pork barrel politics which totally disgusts me. We elect people to Washington to represnt our interests to the country and world, not to bring other peoples money home to buy votes to stay in power longer in Washington. Doesn't suprise me and disgusts me.
Sam; In a perfect world I would agree with you. However, I don't think the world is perfect.
You may damn me for being a pragmatist, and you would be right. However, I don't think we should ignore the reality behind how politics is practiced in our nation.
Every Congressman and Senator in Washington is attempting to help his or her constituents with federal dollars. In the face of that reality, should we take the high road and eschew any aid that our two Senators and lone Congressman can secure?
Given the fragile condition of our State's economy, I do not think that would be wise.
That said, I believe it would be a good idea to examine how much help that aid really has been to our economy. Every survey tells us that we are 49th in this and 45th in that. Perhaps having such influential representatives has not really helped us. Thoughts?
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