Advice for Congresswoman Schmidt

As Jean Schmidt starts to settle in to her new office, Porkopolis offers some advice to go along with the congratulations:

• Stay true to your promise of supporting the President on the War on Terror. As you seek to regain Rob Portman's seat on the Budget Committee, keep in mind the political pork barrel spending is the terrorist's friend.
  
  Squandering our country's limited resources on wasteful spending that could otherwise be applied directly on the War on Terror is at a best shameful in a time of war and at worst indirectly prolongs our enemies' fight against us.
  
• Stay of this list.
  
• Pay defenders of liberty more with savings from eliminating pork barrel spending.
  
• Don't make the mistake Rob Portman did in trying to buy off the eastern counties (or for that matter any county) of the district by sneaking in pork barrel provisions in spending bills and working behind the scenes with government agencies to 'change the rules' to benefit the district. (see: Pork in Portsmouth?, Pork in Portsmouth Confirmed, Pork in Portsmouth Part 4, Pork in Portsmouth Part 5 ).
  
  Better yet, work with the Republican Study Committee to reform rehaul the budgetary process and work with your colleagues to actually terminate federal programs that are no longer needed.
  
• Work tirelessly to fix the pyramid scheme called Social Security; voting for a total overhaul even if not one Democrat supports it (It's the Secure Retirement, Stupid!). Respectfully, but realistically, communicate with seniors that it's time to Put aside the nostalgia and do the right thing. While doing this, don't become a jellyfish politician.
  
• Beware of the RINOs inside the beltway like former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neil.
  
• Keep it all in perspective; re-energize by surrounding yourself with family and friends on your weekend visits back in the district. Then go back to D.C. and give em' hell.