FreedomTalks

Rep. Dave Reichert makes a public statement swearing off earmarks for one year. Next step, we hope he will sign the FreedomWorks No Earmarks Pledge.
Thank you Congressman for taking a stand on this issue!

The chief of staff for Rep. Dan Lipinski brags about bringing home the bacon for purely political purposes. This man is gloating about his corrupt practices. It’s time to put an end to the wasteful, and often corrupt, practice of earmarking.
The Chicago Sun-Times has the story about the braggart chief of staff, Jerry Hurckes.
What has [...]

The Boston Herald has this heartwarming story about how earmarks can bring old friends and different political parties together.  The apparently very philanthropic Democratic Congressman Bill Delahunt secured a $1.1 million earmark for his old friend, former  Republican Congressman  Amory Houghton, to protect Houghton’s expensive waterfront home from flooding.
This suddenly makes my own gifts of [...]

Colorado Republican candidate for the 6th district Steve Ward refused to sign the FreedomWorks “No Earmarks Pledge” today. I just got off the phone with him and he did not provide a reason for this refusal to sign this common sense pledge. Sadly, too many Republicans pay lip service to supporting “limited government” while not [...]

FW Chairman Dick Armey recently took on the issue of earmarks over at Townhall:
There are three groups of people who regularly spend other people’s money: children, thieves, and politicians. All three of these groups need supervision—a watchful, responsible eye who keeps them in line. For children, that means parents. For thieves, that means police [...]

Here is the video from last night’s Senate vote on Senator DeMint’s earmark moratorium amendment, which was defeated.

In a disappointing turn, the Senate voted last night against the DeMint amendment for a moratorium on earmarks for the 2009 fiscal year.  The good guys voting for the ban:

Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bayh (D-IN)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coburn (R-OK)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feingold (D-WI)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McCaskill (D-MO)
McConnell (R-KY)
Obama [...]

These remarks by the Clinton and Obama campaigns are certainly good news on the earmark front, but, unfortunately, the overall outlook for reform still isn’t good.

The FreedomWorks earmark pledge is a defining issue in the GOP primary to replace retiring Rep. Duncan Hunter, California.  From the San Diego Union-Tribune:
Three Republican hopefuls – Bob Watkins, Brian Jones and Hunter’s son Duncan D. Hunter – sounded similar themes at a county Republican Party debate in El Cajon last night before about [...]

Very entertaining piece. Hat tip to Sen. DeMint’s office.