remember "NO EARMARKS"

Monday, March 2, 2009
WASHINGTON NEWS
Obama To Sign Bill Despite Earmarks
White House aides indicated that President Obama will sign a $410 billion spending bill, even though it contains thousands of special projects or earmarks. The AP reports the White House "on Sunday downplayed massive deficit spending and President Barack Obama's pledge not to sign legislation laden with billions in earmarks amid Republican criticism that he was recanting on a key campaign promise."

The New York Times reports Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel "said Sunday that President Obama would sign a $410 billion spending bill that includes thousands of pet projects, known as earmarks, despite campaign promises to put an end to the practice." Republican leaders, "meanwhile, accused the president of breaking his promises to change Washington's ways."

Roll Call reports, "Tucked into the 2009 omnibus spending bill that Congress is now deliberating is a $3 million provision that is not identified as an earmark and has no sponsor's name attached, but it appears to be the legacy of Lee Hamilton (D-Ind.), a revered Member who left the House a decade ago." The provision "apparently has appeared in spending bills for so long that it has escaped the new requirements that the sponsors and beneficiaries of earmarks be disclosed, and even the recipients of the money could not explain how the language ended up in this year's spending bill."

Well I am just shocked