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The Pork Wars

September 06, 2008 3:11 PM

In Indiana today, a state known for its pork cutlets, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, attacked the GOP ticket as less than sincere about combatting wasteful pork barrel projects.

"I know the governor of Alaska has been, you know, saying she is change," Obama said of Gov. Sarah Palin. "And that is great. She is a skillful politician.

"But when you've been taking all these earmarks when it is convenient and then suddenly you are the champion anti-earmark person, that is not change, come on!" Obama said. "I mean, words mean something. You can't just make stuff up. You can't just make stuff up. We have a choice to make and the choice is clear."

Obama was referring quite factually to the fact that despite her self-styled anti-pork image, Palin was quite active in seeking pork in the past.

In two years as governor, Palin sought 83 federal earmarks at a cost of $453 million, according to the Anchorage Daily News. "The federal budget, in its various manifestations, is incredibly important to us, and congressional earmarks are one aspect of this relationship," Palin wrote in a newspaper column, according to the Los Angeles Times.

As the mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired lobbyist Steve Silver, a former aide to Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, to secure earmarks for the town.

In fact, the Los Angeles Times reports today that three times in recent years, McCain himself listed Palin-requested projects for Wasilla as "objectionable" spending.

"While Sen. McCain was going after cutting earmarks in Washington, Gov. Palin was going after getting earmarks," Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense told the Times.

McCain's 2001 list included Wasilla's  $500,000 earmark for a public transportation project; his 2002 list included Wasilla's $1 million for what law enforcement called a redundant emergency communications center and a$450,000 agricultural processing facility.

McCain campaign spokesman Taylor Griffin told the LA Times that as mayor, Palin "faced a system that was broken. Small towns like Wasilla in Alaska depended on earmarks to take care of basic needs. . . . That was something that Gov. Palin was alarmed about and was one of the formative experiences that led her toward the reform-oriented stance that she has taken as her career has progressed."

When it comes to pork, Obama, it should be noted, is hardly kosher.

Since joining the Senate in January 2005 he has requested 330 projects totaling $931.3 million, according to his Senate website where he discloses all his requests.

"Barack Obama has requested the equivalent of one million dollars in new pork barrel spending for every working day he's been in the U.S Senate," said McCain spox Tucker Bounds, "while John McCain has never once asked for an earmark, and Governor Palin has vetoed hundreds of millions in government spending including killing the infamous 'bridge to nowhere'. Just like so many other issues Barack Obama is all talk, has no record to back it up and isn't ready to make change."

Palin originally had supported the "Bridge to Nowhere," though she ultimately came to oppose it.

- jpt

September 6, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (201)

User Comments

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The jury is in, Paulin is two-faced. If as he says, McCain fully vetted Paulin then he by extension is also two-faced or lacks reading in any case they must not become Vice President, President ELECT.

Vote Obama - Biden!!

Posted by: Phx Ranger | Sep 6, 2008 7:40:30 PM

Mary Anne--

How wise was it for Sarah Palin to mock tens of thousands of people who work for little or no money?

Her speech was a fantastic fund raiser --- for Obama. He raised $11 million dollars in the 24 hours after her speech, which included 50,000 new donors.

This thing is not as close as you think.

Posted by: THE FUTURE | Sep 6, 2008 7:38:59 PM


By the way McCain/Palin, going to lose in November just like I told you Hillary would lose and that she would not have a floor fight. I was right and you were wrong about that.

Obama is inevitable, can't you smell the future, it is unstoppable now.

Posted by: THE FUTURE | Sep 6, 2008 7:36:50 PM

John McCain can't escape George Bush. That picture is worth a thousand words and you will see it over and over and over for the next 60 days.

You cannot vote with George Bush 90% of the time and then say you are a maverick. Doesn't work.

You should be, there's a new day coming and it is being lead by the future of this country.

Posted by: THE FUTURE | Sep 6, 2008 7:34:36 PM

The Obama campaign has spent four times as much money on their campaign and the polls say the two are in a dead heat. Money may buy corruption but hopefully it will not buy the election.
At this point, I could not vote for Obama for pooper-scooper supervisor.

Posted by: Mary | Sep 6, 2008 7:30:53 PM

lololololol!!! They think if they say that John McCain cannot win in November that it will be so. Gee, they are sounding more and more like George Bush aren't they? If you just think it will be so, than it will be so. Wasn't that his strategy? Maybe he tutored Obama and his flunkies about that tactic and that is why they are stooping to that level now. WHAT'S THE MATTER OBAMA JUNKIES, YOU DON'T LIKE IT THAT OBAMA IS IN A DEAD HEAT WITH MCCAIN? Awwwwww, poor little babies! lolol

Posted by: Mary Anne | Sep 6, 2008 7:26:17 PM

==Give it your best shot in November because we will all be giving it our best shot to have Obama defeated! ==

Where have I indicated that I believe other than you? I want McCain/Palin to win, too. They will.

Posted by: Mr. Incredible | Sep 6, 2008 7:24:25 PM

Obama said two days after he got the nomination about the women who were still upset with him, "They'll get over it." Oh yes, he was a very wise man to use that strategy. Now, the supporters have shifted and changed with McCain gaining in some areas and Obama gaining in some areas but McCain's gains among women have stayed the same! Obama's gains are not increasing, so I guess he will not be getting over it because we plan to vote for John McCain in November. Maybe the next time that Obama think he will open his mouth to insult the female gender he'll remember how it worked out for him this year! Idiot!

Posted by: Mary Anne | Sep 6, 2008 7:24:18 PM

Senator Obama has sent tax payer money to his racist/hate mongering church that is building its former hate mongering pastor a big mansion. I can think of no bigger waste of money from the pockets of American workers.
Rev. Wright, "D## D### AMERICA". But we want your taxes so we can send more money to Africa and other interest.
Obama or his supporters should not say a word about expenditures in Alaska.

Posted by: Martin | Sep 6, 2008 7:23:36 PM

Mary Anne --

Dead heat in the NATIONAL polls. It ain't so close on a state to state basis. Obama is ahead by 10 electoral votes in strongly dem states and has about a 60 vote lead in states leaning dem.

smells like a landslide.

Posted by: PORKY PALIN | Sep 6, 2008 7:20:12 PM

Mary Anne --

It isn't just young voters. So keep on hoping.

I don't understand why anyone who is "gray" would vote for a man who wants to privatize social security.

Also, you have lived your life. The future of this country should not be in your uninformed hands.


Posted by: Gray = uniformed | Sep 6, 2008 7:18:24 PM

Mr. Incredible,

Give it your best shot in November because we will all be giving it our best shot to have Obama defeated!

Posted by: Mary Anne | Sep 6, 2008 7:17:26 PM

Moneyman and Porky Palin: Don't be so sure that McCain cannot win the election. Is that why he is in a virtual dead heat with your brainless leader?

Posted by: Mary Anne | Sep 6, 2008 7:15:50 PM

Mr Incredible -

Mail?

Why do you care what other people do? Why does one narrow minded group of people get to decide how the rest of us should live our own private lives that harm no one?

Also, why is it that everyone says Gov Palin is Brave for "choosing" to have a Down's baby. Her own Dogma would indicate that she had no choice in the matter. It takes no bravery to do something when you have no choice. She is doing what she must, not what she has chosen.

She does not believe in abortion under any circumstances, therefore she is not brave for having this child. She had no choice.

Posted by: Choice??? | Sep 6, 2008 7:14:54 PM

Ryan C.:

Oh, Republican Mafia, you mean the way Obama runs his campaign What a joke!

Posted by: Mary Anne | Sep 6, 2008 7:13:57 PM

Young voters for Obama:
Good luck with all of that! The population is more than half gray in the US and we outnumber you so good luck with all of that in November. Because your demographic isn't the only one that can come out in large numbers for their candidate and we are coming out in big numbers for McCain. So, we'll see who wins!

Posted by: Mary Anne | Sep 6, 2008 7:12:59 PM

Obama:I Wrote and passed a tough Nuclear Bill

However the bill was rejected by his own party for its pandering and lack of all regulation - mainly because of your Nuclear Donor, Exelon, from which David Axelrod came.

___________________________________

So was Obama lying or was he being unclear?

Posted by: Samantha | Sep 6, 2008 7:11:40 PM

jellybelly: I will not vote for Steven Erkel for President and Bluto the bully for VP either!

Posted by: Mary Anne | Sep 6, 2008 7:09:07 PM

On March 25th, the Chicago Tribune reports that an extensive search found no basis for an episode Obama recounts about a picture he ran across in Life magazine of a “black man who had tried to peel off his skin” in a failed effort to use chemicals to lighten it.

Obama writes that “seeing that article was violent for me, an ambush attack.”The Tribune continued: “Yet no such Life issue exists, according to historians at the magazine. No such photos, no such article.

When asked about the discrepancy, Obama said in a recent interview, “It might have been an Ebony or it might have been … who knows what it was?”At the request of the Chicago Tribune, archivists at Ebony searched their catalogue of past articles, none of which matched what Obama recalled.”
_______________________________________

Wow Obama sure is unclear a lot.

Posted by: Samantha | Sep 6, 2008 7:08:39 PM

So, let's see. Obama points the finger at MCCain and while Obama was speaking at the covention about change, etc., Kerry was getting off a corporate fatcat's jet. While Obama was saying at the convention, he was cutting down on lobbyists, etc. Nancy pelosi and the Dems had an elaborate spread on the top floor of a building only a block away from the convention for more corporate fatcats. Isn't that a case of the pot calling the kettle black? What a hypocrite! He is in true Obama form! All I can say is that the GOP is very nervous about John mcCain because they said he hassled them as a Senator about these things and they know he will be even harder about them as President. Let's see,,.... hmmmmmm...., are the Dems saying the same thing about Obama? I THINK NOT! Obama was handed contributor's lists from the likes of Dodd, Kennedy and Kerry. So, who is the bigger liar and the bigger reformer? What a little liar! He just can't stand it that McCain held his own party's feet to the fire at the convention and Obama failed to do the same. He can't stand that McCain already has tremendous experience with bipartisan support. He can't stand it that McCain wants to reform things in Washington and that now Obama can't say he is the only one who wants change to occur. It is taking the starch right out of his sail and I am thrilled to death!! Good riddance to bad rubbish Obama! Obama, Mr. common man, go to your 30,000 a plate dinner to be given by Bon Jovi in their mansion. Oh yea, he's a common man all right! Don't all of us attend dinners that cost 30,000 a plate? He knows he can't outspend McCain now because the support is pouring in for him. And, not just from white women who were so offended by his sexist treatment of Hillary and his insulting treatment of Bill Clinton. There are huge corporate heads who always supported the Dem party who are now supporting John MCCain. He wanted a war and he got a war. Let's see how that works out for him! Idiot! And you supporters just keep following him along believing anything he says. You all need a check up from the neck up!

Posted by: Mary Anne | Sep 6, 2008 7:08:16 PM

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