Ralph Nader reads Rep. Olver’s claim in 2007 that President Bush was going to attack Iran, declare martial law in the US and cancel the 2008 elections.
Nope. Barney “I’m No Outdoorsman” Frank is only the 12th most liberal member of the House, according to National Journal magazine. Tied for 1st place is actually western Massachusetts rep John Olver.
As Charles C. Johnson reports at BigGovernment.com,
John Olver (MA-1) has the delegation’s worst record when it comes to wasteful earmarks. He directed $2,752,000 for special projects in his district between 2005 and 2006 alone. According to The Boston Globe, Olver OKed more than $34.7 million in earmarks in that last budgeting cycle…
Oh, but that’s not all. Olver spent some $45,000 in taxpayer dollars on mailings to his constituents, through franking, bragging about his “successes”. The Boston Herald reports:
Olver, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, sent out one newsletter with a two-page glossy map of his district showing about 30 projects the panel funded “at my request.”
The map noted $3.5 million in federal earmarked funds for Pioneer Valley bike paths, $13.4 million for Route 2 safety improvements and $8.8 million for the Pittsfield Intermodal Transportation Center.
Olver was one of only twenty-two congressmen to vote against a resolution merely expressing support for democracy in Cuba. Instead, he’s supported resolutions to impeach then-President Bush.
The good news is that at least three people (two Republicans and an independent) are planning to run against him. The bad news:
It’s still Massachusetts.
When Congress required most Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a penalty, Democrats denied that they were creating a new tax. But in court, the Obama administration and its allies now defend the requirement as an exercise of the government’s “power to lay and collect taxes.”… Administration officials say the tax argument is a linchpin of their legal case in defense of the health care overhaul and its individual mandate.
