December 06, 2010 09:49 PM UTC

Lamborn Hates Earmarks (Except When He Doesn't)

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• by: Colorado Pols

As The Colorado Independent reports, Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn is claiming to have seen the light on earmarks:

Colorado Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn has come out strong this year against earmarks. He joined the Tea Party caucus dedicated to fighting government waste and he enthusiastically signed onto the GOP House pledge against earmarking, or the practice of tacking on projects to legislation in order to deliver tax money to favored constituencies and causes. Lamborn wrote an editorial for his hometown Colorado Springs Gazette against earmarks last Saturday, a feel good Thanksgiving treat for the Gazette’s conservative readers.

He left out the fact that he has been earmark crazy since he arrived in Washington in 2007.

According to records posted at Citizens for Government Waste’s “Pig Book” website, Lamborn has been a major dealer in pork. He voted for more than tens of millions in earmarks, mostly for defense projects, one of which has become infamous in anti-big government crowds as a particularly egregious waste of taxpayer money.[Pols emphasis]

Whether it’s happening locally or with Republican members of Congress, this “Tea Party” rhetoric is increasingly at odds with, well, reality when it comes to the actions of Republicans who espouse “Tea Party” beliefs. We’ve said it before, and we’ll keep saying it: This isn’t going to turn out well for Republicans in 2012 and beyond as it becomes more and more obvious to the “Tea Party” supporters that Republicans aren’t actually paying attention to them.