Dunno if you guys saw this but: Lawmaker seeks ban of military NASCAR sponsors

[unhappycamper]

Lawmaker seeks ban of military NASCAR sponsors
By Dustin Long
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 16, 2011

A Minnesota congresswoman has introduced an amendment to a 2011 budget bill to ban the military from sponsoring NASCAR teams.

Military branches have been affiliated with NASCAR teams for years, believing it helped recruiting. The National Guard sponsors Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team, the U.S. Army sponsors Ryan Newman's cars, and the U.S. Air Force sponsors AJ Allmendinger's team in the Sprint Cup Series.

Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., was not available to comment on her amendment Tuesday, but Bill Harper, her chief of staff, dismisses the effectiveness of those sponsorships on recruiting.

"I would challenge the Pentagon to give me one example of someone today in Iraq or Afghanistan who saw the Go Army car going around the race track and that's why they joined the Army," Harper said in a phone interview Tuesday. "It may be the reason why they go to Home Depot but not necessarily Afghanistan."

~snip~

Current NASCAR sponsorship totals are unavailable, but in 2009, the U.S. Army paid $11.6 million to sponsor Newman's car - a tiny total in a federal budget that is approaching $4 trillion. But Harper argued that the size of the expense isn't the point.

[PeaceNikki]

1. Yesterday Congress passed a ban on funding Planned Parenthood, but voted *TO* allow funding NASCAR

sponsorship.

Fucked up priorities, much?

[Zywiec]

2. Didn't pass yesterday.

A budget-cutting proposal by Minnesota Democrat Betty McCollum to end military NASCAR sponsorships crashed and burned Friday on the final lap of a House amendment process. It was voted down 281-148.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/blogs/116492578.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUgOy9cP3DieyckcUsI

[underpants]

6. Wow right before the 10th anniversary of Dale

ironic

[liberal N proud]

3. They go hand in hand

[catabryna]

4. I know it's not popular around here...

but I love NASCAR, and Ryan Newman in his Army car is one of my favorite drivers.

Now, if you don't mind, I think I'll go :hide:

[Travis_0004]

5. I see nothing wrong with it

The military has to recruit people to fill their staffing needs. (Even if we were not in iraq/afghanstan, and they downsized, there would still be a need for recruiting. How they spend their recruiting budget is up to them. We might be able to decrease their budget, and how they decrease it is up to them, but I don't think congress needs to be micromanaging how they spend their money.