Earmarks

(Newser) - Sen. John McCain, forgotten but not gone after his failed bid for the presidency, was back in form this week as he pushed bipartisan reform of earmarks and lobbying, Congressional Quarterly reports. Though the Arizona Republican’s eyes were watery and he had some trouble reading at the press conference, “He’s engaged and ready to go,” a GOP colleague affirmed. More »

(Newser) - Some Alaskans make a living off of oil piped from the Arctic. Others, for years, have made it off of federal money, piped from DC by former Sen. Ted Stevens. But with Uncle Ted's downfall, lobbyists who traded on their access to him face disaster, the New York Times reports. “For those of us long on the dole, the coming reality will take some getting used to,” says one. More »

(Newser) - Senate Democrats are considering an attempt to remove 90-year-old Sen. Robert Byrd from his position as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, the New York Times reports. Byrd is the longest-serving senator in history. His committee controls one-third of all federal spending, and Dems worry he’s not up to the job. More »

(Newser) - The Senate’s version of the bailout bill is loaded with provisions specifically designed to sweeten the pot for House dissenters, Politico reports, including $3.3 billion for rural schools, equal health coverage for the mentally ill, and a suspension of the Alternative Minimum Tax. These changes may win over House Republicans, but have infuriated fiscally conservative “Blue Dog” Democrats. More »

(Newser) - Despite campaign rhetoric against earmarks, a hefty $6.6 billion will be set aside for lawmakers’ pet projects in a $630 billion spending bill nearing approval, USA Today reports. The amount is down 11% from last year. Of note: Though both presidential candidates didn't request any earmarks this year, Joe Biden requested 18 for a total of $51.5 million. More »

(Newser) - Members of Congress warn that earmarks won’t go away just because John McCain thinks they’re wasteful, Politico reports. On the stump, the would-be president has been threatening to veto any spending bill containing earmarks; such a move would be "an executive branch power grab" that would bring government to a standstill, say members of his own party. More »

(Newser) - Sarah Palin called them "un-American" and John McCain denied again Friday that she requested them as governor of Alaska. But the Wall Street Journal , doing the math on earmarks, finds that Palin sought $453 million of them for her state since taking office, including $197 million in the current fiscal year. And using the same calculation she applies to Barack Obama—earmark dollars sought per day in office—her record is worse than his. More »

(Newser) - Despite what he calls her “recasting as an anti-earmark champion,” Ben Smith writes in Politico that Sarah Palin has consistently sought millions in such funds for her home state of Alaska. But while "every self-respecting mayor and governor in America seeks federal dollars for local projects," many of Palin's are "exactly the sort that McCain has made a career of mocking—like animal research." More »

(Newser) - Requests from Sarah Palin made it onto John McCain's "pork list" of objectionable spending three times while Palin was mayor of Wasilla, the Los Angeles Times reports. McCain's lists came as part of his long campaign against the earmarking system in which members of Congress can chuck cash at pet projects with little or no scrutiny. More »

(Newser) - Calling lobbyists “the symptom of a disease,” John McCain railed against earmarking and pork-barrel spending yesterday, telling Politico that members of his administration would be barred from lobbying after life at the White House. Some of McCain’s top campaign aides are former lobbyists, and the senator has already pledged that none of his current staff will return to the influence game. More »