Earmark Update

A couple of things caught my eye this morning about earmarks.

First, there's this POLITICO story about how Sen. Richard Shelby (R) is helping former aides secure earmarks.  To the tune of over $250 million.  Yeah, the earmark process isn't corrupt.

Second, House Democrats are going to consider the Treasury-HUD appropriations bill today.  Reps. Hensarling, Campbell, and Flake all offered amendments to the bill that would strip out wasteful earmarks.  Despite approps bills historically being conducted under an open rule (all amendments are allowed), the Democrats said NO to Hensarling and Campbell, and then told Flake he could only offer 4 of his 10 amendments.

That means taxpayers will no be able to question the merits of a $500,000 streetscaping project in Canton, Ohio, or a $650,000 earmark for a creek path in Vermont, among hundreds of other pork projects in the bill.

Today is just another corrupt, business-as-usual day in Washington, DC.  Be grateful, taxpayers, the earmarkers in charge know what's best for us.

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Zach Wamps Should Secede from Appropriations

Here's a scathing Wall Street Journal editorial on Rep. Zach Wamp, a Republican who is trying to shed his squishiness ahead of November by sounding like an extreme winger.

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Quote of the Day

Here's a laughable headline from today's The Hill newspaper:


And by "mending," Obama means, "I'm going to raise taxes on you."

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