Republicans lead "pork" spending lists: report

[UpInArms]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. Congress, trying to appear tightfisted with taxpayer dollars this election year, found on Wednesday that some in their own ranks led a list of "pork" spenders in a watchdog group's analysis of government waste.

The annual survey by Citizens Against Government Waste claims that 11,610 special-interest projects were stuffed into spending bills approved by the Democratic-led Congress last year at a $17.2 billion cost to taxpayers.

But according to the survey, it was individual Republicans who pushed the most "pork" last year. In addition, the three House of Representative Republicans sponsoring legislation calling for a moratorium all engaged in the practice, the report said.

<snip>

But according to the report, two House Republicans bested Murtha: Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who recently became a U.S. senator, and Rep. Bill Young of Florida. The two scored $176.3 million and $169.5 million in earmarks respectively, beating Murtha's $159.1 million.

In the Senate, the top three big spenders were Republicans, who together scored about $1.8 billion in home-state projects. Those senators are: Thad Cochran, the senior Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Richard Shelby of Alabama, and Ted Stevens of Alaska, who was roundly criticized a few years back for winning approval of a "bridge to nowhere," and has been reported to be the target of a federal corruption probe.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN0233511020080402?sp=true

[progressoid]

1. No Waaay

:eyes:

[Stinky The Clown]

2. .... and in other news ....... Water Conclusively Determined to be Wet

[RavensChick]

4. LOL!

:rofl: :rofl:

[Quantess]

7. LOL you beat me to it!

I was going to post that!

[durablend]

3. Come on people--OPEN YOUR EYES!

Everyone knows it's the DEMOCRATS who are holding guns to the Republicans heads and forcing them to spend all that money! Rush said so, so it MUST be true!!!!!

:sarcasm:

[jorno67]

5. Spin

CNN spins it to sound as if the the Dems did the most damage.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/02/pork.spending/index.html

[laylah]

6. Of course and

welcome.

[maxrandb]

8. Rush fans and the 25 "percenters"

will just argue that it's Repubs behaving like Democrats.

Guess we can count CNN among the "25 Percenters".