Election Year Again - Will Platts Take Phony Anti-Earmark Stand?

Jim Demint is launching a renewed effort to end earmarks, calling for members of Congress to support an earmark moratorium.

Expect Todd Platts to sign on, after all, it is an election year, and he supported such a ban on earmarks in 2008 noting how corrupting the process is. Of course, in 2009, he flip-flopped and then got $132 million in earmarks from taxpayers.

Todd Platts' 10 Worst Votes

Here are Todd Platts' 10 worst votes on spending, taxes, and fiscal policy:

1. For the multi-trillion dollar expansion of Medicare
   
2. To increase federal cigarette tax
3. For federal taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research
4. To increase the federal minimum wage
5. For "Cash for Clunkers"
6. For the pork-filled farm bill (overriding the president's veto)
7. For the 2005 Transportation bill ("Bridge to Nowhere" bill)
8. For the 2008 "economic stimulus"
9. For "No Child Left Behind"
10. For tax breaks for "alternative energy"

Platts Gets an Opponent

PoliticsPA is reporting that Todd Platts will have a primary challenger in the person of York businessman Mike Smeltzer. By the look, Smeltzer seems to be a true fiscal conservative.

If he needs any help, here are some links to Todd Platts (very liberal) voting record:

• Platts Voting Record on Fiscal Policy
• Platts Ratings by Issue Groups
  
• Platts on the Issues
  
• Platts' Recent Votes on Budget, Spending, and Taxes
  

Platts Prime PA Porker

Lowman Henry on how Todd Platts secured $132 million in earmarks, making him one of Pennsylvania's leading porkers.

Note that one year ago, Platts pledged not to take earmarks because "the system has been abused." Platts was running for re-election at that time.

Platts says "hook me up with earmarks"

Todd Platts has fallen off the earmark wagon, the Club for Growth notes, reversing his election year grandstanding previous pledge to reject earmarks until the process was reformed (it hasn't been). Now that pork seems to be back in fashion, Platts says "I'm gonna get me some". The York Dispatch broke the story.

Platts votes with Dems on SCHIP

Todd Platts voted with Democrats for SCHIP expansion - a bill which will raise taxes on the poor, create another unfunded quasi-entitlement, and crowd out private insurance.

Platts reveals liberal tendencies in USAVoter Survey

In a survey for USAVoter, Todd Platts reveals he supports embryonic stem cell research, supports adding "sexual orientation" to anti-discrimination and hate crime laws, opposes allowing workers to invest their Social Security contributions, and is undecided whether every American should be enrolled in government-run health care.

Todd Platts doesn't know if he likes socialism or not.

Platts wants more government spending "to help economy"

Taking a page from FDR, Todd Platts calls for a second stimulus to improve the economy, by having Washington politicians spend more money from taxpayers

Platts Does Good

Platts votes against the horrendous mortgage/Fannie Mae bailout. I credit this blog.

ACU Gives Platt's Poor Rating

The American Conservative Union gives Platts a 64 for his votes in 2007, even below his mediocre lifetime rating of 76.6.

Bad votes:

• For Minimum Wage Increase
• For federal funding of stem cell research
• Against cutting wasteful Amtrak routes
• To give DC a Congressional seat
• For additional penalties for "hate crimes" against racial, ethnic, sexual orientation
• For energy subsidies, more federal regulation of energy companies, and ban on incandescent light bulbs
  
• For new federal welfare program for "affordable housing"
• For health care and Medicare (SCHIP) expansion
  
• For new energy standards, subsidies and mandates for alternative fuels, and more federal energy regulations.