Making a Mark with Earmarks

THE PRESIDENT ON ‘THE OTHER WHITE MEAT’

Last night as I listened to most of President Bush’s final State of the Union speech, he mentioned the need to stop the “earmarks” so commonly used those who allegedly represent us in Congress. What is an “earmark”? The Office of Management and Budget, a government agency defines them as follows: “Earmarks are funds provided by the Congress for projects or programs where the congressional direction (in bill or report language) circumvents the merit-based or competitive allocation process, or specifies the location or recipient, or otherwise curtails the ability of the Executive Branch to properly manage funds.”

President Bush’s idea is good to curtail earmarks, but why did it take him 7 years to come to this position?

VOTE FOR 2007 ‘PORKER OF THE YEAR’

Speaking of earmarks or pork projects, last week The Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) announced its nominees for the for 2007 Porker of the Year award. In their January 22nd news released they indicated that Americans can vote for the politician who they think was the worst porker of the year. We can cast a ballot in an online poll. Here are the six finalists chosen by CAGW staff from 12 worthy Porkers of the Month in 2007:

___ Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) - The House Majority Whip was November’s Porker of the Month for airdropping a $3 million earmark for the First Tee golf program into the fiscal 2008 Department of Defense Appropriations Act conference report. In fiscal year 2008, he brought in 38 pork projects worth $62 million.

___ Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) - The Senate Production, Income Protection and Price Support Agriculture Subcommittee Chair was December’s Porker of the Month for thwarting three amendments to the farm bill that would have provided some modest reform. In fiscal year 2008, she brought in 96 pork projects worth $196.3 million.

_X_ Rep. John 'Jack' Murtha (D-Pa.) - The House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chair was May’s Porker of the Month for throwing a temper tantrum and threatening his colleagues over a challenge to a $23 million pet project in the Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal year 2008. Rep. Murtha also purposefully put up roadblocks and barriers to hinder earmark accountability and reform. In fiscal year 2008, he brought in 72 pork projects worth $149.2 million.

___ Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) - The House Transportation Committee Chair was August’s Porker of the Month for proposing a “temporary” 5 cent increase in the gas tax in the wake of the Minnesota bridge collapse to raise $25 billion within three years for a new bridge trust fund. In fiscal year 2008, he brought in 32 pork projects worth $87.9 million.

___ Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) - The Senate Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member was October’s Porker of the Month for an $11 million Health Resources and Services Administration earmark for his alma mater, the University of Alabama. In fiscal year 2008, he brought in 201 pork projects worth $174 million.

___ Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) - The at-large representative was April’s Porker of the Month for defending earmarks and pledging to continue his state’s disproportionate harvest of federal tax dollars. Rep. Young also placed a $10 million federal earmark for an unnecessary road project in Florida. In fiscal year 2008, he brought in 18 pork projects worth $10.3 million.

The ballot and further details on each of the finalists can be found at swineline.org/porkeroftheyear.

RODHAM-CLINTON IS ONE BIG “PORK” PRODUCER

OneNewsNow.com reports that “conservative watchdog groups exposed Senator Clinton (D-New York) last week for garnering 261 pork projects ("earmarks") for her supporters -- more than five times as many as any other presidential candidate currently serving in Congress. Earmarks are vague, written instructions attached to federal agency budgets that are often used as a "backdoor" to fund pet projects. Now Peter LaBarbera with Republicans for Family Values is drawing attention to one $300,000 funding earmark Clinton secured.

"One of the recipients was the Gay Men's Health Crisis [Center]," notes LaBarbera. "[The Crisis Center] is a typical, radical, homosexual activist/AIDS organization that opposes abstinence and supports homosexual funding and subsidizing -- effectively, promotion of homosexual sex acts."

LaBarbera says Senator Clinton's dedication to the homosexual agenda would carry over into a Clinton White House, were she to be elected. "I think we're looking at the most pro-homosexual presidency that ever was," he warns. "I mean, Bill Clinton was horrible, as you remember, but this is way worse than even Bill Clinton."

However, homosexuality is not the only issue on which LaBarbera feels the Democratic candidates are out of touch with mainstream America. "I would say the same thing about abortion," he says. "The fact [is] that Hillary and Barack Obama are arguing over who is the most radically pro-abortion candidate."

“Porker of the Year” election is one which Hillary Rodham-Clinton could easily win if nominated. Why not write her in? I had already voted for Congressman Jack “Mr. Surrender” Murtha, otherwise she’d have my vote . . .