When it comes to being schizophrenic on the issue of pork, it has been said neither political party has the corner on the Nevada market. Both parties tend to talk out of both sides of their mouth and send mixed messages.
Perhaps this is because many voters scream for an end to earmarks and big-government spending while simultaneously criticizing candidates for doing too little for the state. In response, elected officials try to telegraph a commitment to fiscal restraint while still boasting of all the goodies they’ve brought home.
No one must walk that line more carefully than Harry Reid, who is in a fight for his political life and whose campaign website yesterday said–while newspapers around the state echoed–”Nevada to get $57 million to help avoid foreclosures.” The money was awarded from the Treasury Department’s “Hardest Hit” fund, for which Harry Reid lobbied to help Nevadans struggling to pay their mortgages.
“This boost in funding is great news for Nevada homeowners who are still struggling to stay in their homes,” Reid said in a statement.
But does Reid also think it is “great news” that he, like many incumbent Democrats, is caught between a rock and proverbial hard place?
Reid must convince the electorate he understands their anger about runaway government spending, big bailouts of questionable effectiveness, and enormous deficits while also persuading them he is needed in Washington to bring home the bacon.
One of his campaign taglines, “No one can do more” shows he thinks pork is still a safe electoral bet. Not until November’s returns will Reid know whether or not he wagered well.