Those Pesky Numbers
The earmarks secured by the two Democratic Senators running for the Presidency:
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton helped secure more than $340 million worth of home-state projects in last year’s spending bills, placing her among the top 10 Senate recipients of what are commonly known as earmarks, according to a new study by a nonpartisan budget watchdog group.
Working with her New York colleagues in nearly every case, Clinton supported almost four times as much spending on earmarked projects as her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), whose $91 million total placed him in the bottom quarter of senators who seek earmarks, the study showed.
The earmarks secured by the Republican Senator running for the Presidency:
Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the likely GOP presidential nominee, was one of five senators to reject earmarks entirely, part of his long-standing view that such measures prompt needless spending.
Should this be a campaign issue? You betcha!
Written by Sue
David M. Says:
February 14th, 2008 at 2:45 pmVisit David M.
Yes-it should be a campaign issue. McCain has brought plenty of pork home to Arizona, though. Like beauty, pork must lie in the eyes of the beholder.
~J~ Says:
February 14th, 2008 at 3:20 pmVisit ~J~
They all roll in the pork, but McCain seems to have had a change of mind and says if someone sticks pork in a bill he will make that person famous, meaning they do it anonymously to the public at least. Who bothers looking up bills to see who takes home the most pork?
The bottom line is the pork-barrel spending has to stop. And Republicans are just as guilty as Democrats.