Shocker: Conservative Republicans Hate the Amtrak Writer Residency

Republicans in Washington aren't very big fans of Amtrak. Over the past few years, the GOP-led House has conducted a long series of hearings on the passenger rail carrier — some fair (the food service has problems), many not (despite charges of wasteful public spending, Amtrak now pays for most of its operational costs through ticket prices). Many conservative leaders, including then-candidate Romney, have said they want Amtrak privatized or cut off from federal funds.

So even though it took a few weeks, it's no surprise Republicans are starting to come out against the delightful new writer residency program that has the public actually talking about Amtrak in a positive way. The program, which began with a whimsical tweet and recently became official, will send up to 24 writers on overnight journeys to take some inspiration from the American countryside. More than 9,000 people have reportedly applied.