Congress: Old McDonald had a farm...

Posted: Thursday, February 26, 2009 9:15 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: Congress

“The House on Wednesday passed a $410 billion omnibus spending bill packed with pet projects requested by Democrats and Republicans alike,” the New York Times reports. “The 245-to-178 vote came just a week after President Obama signed one of the largest spending bills in the nation’s history, a $787 billion measure meant to rejuvenate a sluggish economy.”

"Despite vows by President Obama to curtail earmarks," earmarks mark the latest congressional bill, the Boston Globe reports. Across the country, there are more than 8,500, "totaling $7.7 billion -- up 3 percent from last year -- that were included in the $410 billion spending bill the House approved yesterday, according to the nonpartisan group Taxpayers for Common Sense. The House rejected a Republican bid to strip the earmarks out of the legislation, which is to fund government operations from early March through the end of September."

The New York Daily News plays the crazy-pork-barrel-project game. "There's $190,000 set aside in the House's version of the federal budget for bringing Cody, Wyo.'s Buffalo Bill Historical Center into the digital age" ... "$238,000 for educational programs at Honolulu's Polynesian Voyaging Society" ... "$24,000 for a sexual abstinence program."

The New York Post salivates over them too with this headline: Congress' porky pols pig out on fine $wine: Big bucks for canoes and tattoos."

Meanwhile, a day after Dick Durbin told Burris he should think about resigning, Burris is staffing up and showing no indication he'll step down.

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Comments

What good is a "line item veto?" That would have to assume that Obama actually reads every line.

And what happened to the transparency and giving the public five days to review?????

Broken Promises (Sent Thursday, February 26, 2009 9:27 AM)

Here it comes again, more whining about earmarks. Like booby jindal whining about the $140 million for volcano monitoring. Just because his state doesn't have volcanoes he asumes that no one else in this country is bothered by them. The biggest waste of taxpayer money would be to give any to abstinence education, welfare mommy Bristol Palin has proven it is unrealistic and doesn't work.

Just Say Yes to Obama!

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Thursday, February 26, 2009 9:29 AM)

The sky is falling, the sky is falling. Earmarks. Earmarks. My goodness, if it weren't for the earmarks, the omnibus bill would only be $403 billion instead of $410 billion.

I agree wholeheartedly with Governor Jindal that the federal government has no business spending my federal tax dollars on volcano detection that doesn't affect ME. And I also think that, in order to be consistent with her earlier stated positions, Governor Palin shouldn't have to accept those earmarks targeted for Alaska, either. No big deal. The Redoubt volcano is no threat, as this image of the last time ti erupted will plainly demonstrate:

http://www.geo.mtu.edu/~ajdurant/publications/MountRedoubtEruption.jpg

Hmmm. I guess this just goes to show that people should be careful what they wish for. One person's earmark is another person's necessity.

Anna Molly (Sent Thursday, February 26, 2009 10:01 AM)

Old McCongress had a farm e i e i o and on that farm were some pigs e i e i o. Both Dem and GOPiggies are at the trough.

Broken Promises (Sent Thursday, February 26, 2009 9:27 AM)

Or broken record from Obama haters? Just asking.

Eric, Salinas, CA why would it be a waste of taxpayer money to give abstinence education to young people? I would rather pay a few bucks for a class than have to support a kid on welfare for 18 years. Nice try at slamming Bristol Palin but I rather doubt she is on welfare. Parents who don't talk to their children enough have children who wind up like Bristol. Classes may be necessary because parents don't talk to their kids.

It is the whole government intervention thing. When individuals or companies don't do the right thing somebody else has to and that usually winds up being government. Those touting personal responsiblity should do whatever they can to encourage parents to talk to their kids about all sorts of stuff. Do it now or DO IT LATER.

eagle1776 (Sent Thursday, February 26, 2009 10:15 AM)

I'm pro Obama but NO ONE will convince me that "just Say Yes to Obama!" is the way to go. We've had enough of "Yes" people in government. The PORK should be challenged and Obam needs to get that pen out and do some hard cutting.

ed_l6906@yahoo.com (Sent Thursday, February 26, 2009 10:24 AM)

Senator Burris is the clown of one's nightmares!Like the former governor of Illinois, he looks funny but is really rather ugly in his actions. Both the former governor and the now senator are attention-whores hogging at the public trough. Just observe their behaviors under the guise of righteousness.

The US Senate as a body could deal quickly and effectively with this issue but does not want to create a president for future actions. The moral cowardliness on their part reeks to the heavens and we are "blessed" to endure the results!

Mike Groshong, McMinnville, Or (Sent Thursday, February 26, 2009 10:24 AM)

Obama needs a line-item veto,because Congress---be it Dem or Repug---will always love earmarks for their friends,cronies and benefactors. Obama WILL read the whole thing, and he should be able to excise any pork he finds. It's amazing Congress hasn't learned its lesson, but they never will, so some oversight HAS to be done by Obama.

Class Warrior, D.C. (Sent Thursday, February 26, 2009 10:35 AM)

The only effective way to curtail 'wasteful in the eye of the beholder' earmarks is to clearly identify the sponsor of the earmark. If the sponsor can defend the earmark sufficiently to his/her constituents, great. If not, the voters will speak at the polls. What really gripes me are all of the fiscal hawks screaming about waste and then, lo and behold, they are supporting earmarks too! (See for example Lindsey Graham and the Myrtle Beach convention center earmark.)

Bruce Oregon (Sent Thursday, February 26, 2009 10:43 AM)

Pro-contraception organization Choice Matters wants to make Bristol it's spokesperson! Choose which pro-plan B T-shirt Bristol will wear!
http://www.choicematters.org/

Choice Matters, White Plains, New York (Sent Thursday, February 26, 2009 11:16 AM)

Pro-contraception organization Choice Matters wants to make Bristol it's spokesperson! Choose which pro-plan B T-shirt Bristol will wear!
http://www.choicematters.org/

Choice Matters, White Plains, New York (Sent Thursday, February 26, 2009 11:17 AM)

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