Oink:
House Republicans beat back a Democratic challenge Tuesday to Majority Leader Tom DeLay, defeating an effort to cut $200 million from NASA’s Moon-Mars initiative and spend the money instead to aid local police.
By a 230-196 vote, the House rejected an amendment by Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., to transfer $200 million from the space agency to two Clinton-era grant programs that President Bush wants to phase out.
. . .
DeLay’s Houston district is home to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. After a House subcommittee last year slashed NASA’s budget by $1 billion, DeLay forced negotiators to restore the money, then set about abolishing the subcommittee and spreading its jurisdiction over NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, housing and veterans’ programs among other panels.
Rightist often try to portray Democrats as big government spenders. In reality, there’s little difference in the level of spending. The primary difference between the two is where it gets directed. Democrats have their pet projects and constituencies, and so do Republicans. You just don’t hear about this on the radio very often.