THE EARMARK

You’ve probably read that the both the House and Senate passed credit card reform legislation this week — and by sweeping margins. The House vote was 361-64, which was impressive enough, until you compare it to the Senate, which voted 90-5.

In fact the margin was so wide in the Senate, it had a lot of folks wondering who out there didn’t think it was a good idea to eliminate double-cycle billing and predatory rate hikes on the most vulnerable Americans. Heck, even Sen. Tom Coburn (R-NRA) voted in favor of the bill– albeit only after amending it to usher handguns into national parks.

Well here are the dissenters to the bill, along with some possible motivations:

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)- Oddly enough, Alexander objected to Coburn’s gun amendment, saying even Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush wouldn’t have approved. He was the only Republican to do so. That said, he didn’t like the credit card part either.

Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ)- Wants to preserve Americans’ rights to get junk mail stating that they’re pre-approved for credit cards if they act today!

Sens. Tim Johnson (D-SD) and John Thune (R-SD)- So we’ve all heard of credit card giant Citibank, right? But did you realize that, since 1981, the “Citi” in reference has been Sioux Falls, South Dakota? Seriously.

Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT)- Trying to test how far you can push Utah voters before they punish a Republican politician.

We should also mention that South Dakota wasn’t the only state to lack a single “aye” vote. Both of West Virginia’s senators missed the vote altogether. But to be fair, the senior senator, Robert C. Byrd, was receiving treatment at a local hospital, while the junior senator, Jay Rockefeller, was getting a payday loan at a Wheeling check-cashing store.

Ever since David Souter announced his resignation, news reporters have been racing across Washington, trying to figure out whom President Obama will nominate to fill a soon-to-be-vacant Supreme Court seat.

Apparently they should hang out at more NRA meetings. Or at least ones where RNC Chairman Michael Steele is the guest speaker…

Addressing the National Rifle Association, Steele warned that “liberal Democrats could control every lever of every branch of government” if Obama picks a “young, activist, left-wing justice…

“Sounds like instead of another Judge Roberts, the President is looking to put Doctor Phil on the Court.”

In our judgment, Steele is overestimating Obama’s affinity for Dr. Phil. While it’s true that both the president and the TV psychologist have ridden Oprah’s coattails to considerable fame and power, Obama has actually made reference to Dr. Phil in the past– and it wasn’t exactly to nominate him to the Supreme Court.

We refer to Obama’s scolding of then-opponent John McCain last July, when McCain henchman and recesssion architect Phil Gramm announced that the nation was experiencing a “mental recession” and that America had become “a nation of whiners.”

Obama’s retort to McCain? “Well, you know, America already has one Dr. Phil. We don’t need another one when it comes to the economy.”

If Obama doesn’t think the economy needs a Dr. Phil, we can’t imagine he’d think the Supreme Court does. Anyway, we’re surprised Michael Steele, as Republican-in-chief, hadn’t heard this remark. Now why could that be?

Oh that’s right! He was jockeying to be McCain’s running mate at the time.