Big City, Big Spender: Byrds Of A Feather Spend Together

How Mayor Giuliani "Beat" Conservatives By Killing The Line-Item Veto

"For A Classic Example Of The Politics Of Self-Interest, You Can't Beat New YorkMayor Rudolph Giuliani's Challenge To The Line-Item Veto. ... This Is No Disinterested Argument Over Constitutional Principles. Giuliani Wants His Piece Of The Pie, And Doesn't Care Who Gets Hurt In The Process." (Editorial, "Rudy Gets It All Wrong," Boston Herald, 10/19/97)

FACT: Mayor Giuliani Celebrated The End Of The Line-Item Veto Because It Restored Pork For New York:

In 1998, Mayor Giuliani Praised The Death Of The Line-Item Veto As A "Very, Very Big Victory For New York City And For New York State." "Mayor Giuliani called the ruling a 'very, very big victory for New York City and for New York State' that would keep in place the federal Medicaid reimbursement formula for hospitals serving poor patients without insurance. 'Why the Clinton administration, that began on a note of wanting to give universal health care, ended up vetoing this particular area of legislation as a political matter, I will never understand,' Giuliani said." (Richard Sisk and Frank Lombardi, "City Gains 1.2B From Line-Item Veto Ax," New York Daily News, 6/26/98)

Mayor Giuliani Still Gleefully Boasts How He "Beat" The Line-Item Veto. GIULIANI: "The line item veto was unconstitutional. I took Bill Clinton to the Supreme Court and beat Bill Clinton. It's unconstitutional. What the heck can you do about that, if you're a strict constructionist?" (CNBC, Republican Presidential Candidate Debate, Dearborn, MI, 10/9/07)

FACT: Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) Celebrated The End Of The Line-Item Veto, Which Threatened His Pork:

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) On The End Of The Line-Item Veto: "This Is A Great Day For The United States..." SEN. BYRD: "This is a great day; a great day for the United States of America, a great day for the Constitution of the United States. And I am happy and gratified at the decision that has been reached..." (Sen. Robert Byrd, Press Conference, 6/25/98)

• Sen. Byrd Knew The Line-Item Veto Threatened His Ability To Bring Pork Back To His State. SEN. BYRD: "Now, as you fine people know, I fight to give to this country infrastructure, believing in it; that it helps the economy, and it's good for the national defense; it puts people to work and so on. There have been situations in which I have had items in appropriation bills. ... But The Line-Item Veto would be a powerful and very persuasive instrument to use on me or any other senator. It's a convincing tool, because I know what the people of West Virginia need. I've fought for their needs for 40 years. And I know that that line item veto could be useful to any president." (Sen. Robert Byrd, Press Conference, 6/25/98)

"Sen. Robert C. Byrd, Long The Prince Of Pork On Capitol Hill, Declared That If The Court Strikes Down The line item veto, It Would Be 'My Christmas Wish Come True.'" "The Supreme Court has now ruled the line item veto unconstitutional. The pro-spending lobby in Washington is uncorking bottles of champagne. ... In fact, last December, Sen. Robert C. Byrd, long the prince of pork on Capitol Hill, declared that if the Court strikes down the line item veto, it would be 'my Christmas wish come true.' Merry Christmas, Mr. Byrd." (Stephen Moore, "Regrouping To Revive Line-Item," The Washington Times, 6/30/98)