FreedomTalks

John McCain has sometimes had mixed relations with economic conservatives, but one area in which he’s been quite strong is spending — especially when it comes to earmarks. He made strong remarks on earmarks in his speech at CPAC (”I will not sign a bill with earmarks in it, any earmarks in it”). Today, [...]

FreedomWorks will be joining Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) for a rally at the Senate Swamp next Tuesday. The details for the event are posted on Facebook.
If you want to attend, please call 888-564-6273 and ask about the Earmark Moratorium Rally.

In today’s Potomac Watch column, Kim Strassel provides yet another reminder of the overall sad state of GOP elected representatives:
Many [GOP legislators] remain ambivalent about [John McCain] — not because they question his conservatism, but out of resentment that he may get in the way of their earmarks.
This has resulted in a behind-the-scenes brawl, as [...]

Yesterday, I taped an episode of Bloggingheads with American Prospect staff writer Ezra Klein. The whole thing is here, but FT readers might be interested in the following bit in which I talk about how John McCain might smooth out his sometimes rocky relationship with the conservative movement:
There’s more about McCain and economics, William F. [...]

Heritage’s Brian Reidl has a new report out on federal spending, and, for anyone concerned about responsible spending, the news is not good. In large part, the report cements what we already knew: President Bush’s legacy on spending will be one of waste and excess.
This year, for every household in the U.S., Washington will spend [...]

Here’s James Pethokoukis on Obama’s economics:
What is the economic philosophy of Democratic front-runner Barack Obama? I will elaborate on this later, but for now, think of it this way: He’s Robert Rubin on trade (pretty much keep it open but help workers), Warren Buffett on taxes (higher rates really don’t affect what rich folks do, [...]

In a very disappointing turn, yesterday House Republicans selected Rep. Jo Bonner of Alabama to the Appropriations Committee, instead of a reformer like Rep. Jeff Flake. It’s a clear signal that, despite recent rhetoric, House Republicans haven’t broken their spending addiction. Like too many members, Rep. Bonner has institutionalized pork requests. [...]

When it comes to Congressional pork, there’s a clear leader amongst the top  presidential candidates:
 Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton helped secure more than $340 million worth of home-state projects in last year’s spending bills, placing her among the top 10 Senate recipients of what are commonly known as earmarks, according to a new study by a [...]

The Washington Post’s Paul Kane looks at the hundreds of millions of dollars in pork-spending earmarks secured by Sens. Clinton and Obama. (Senator McCain, to his great credit, refuses to engage in the practice, which is fraught with corruption, abuse, and waste.) The Post notes that in 2006, Sen. Obama diverted tax dollars to [...]

Jeff Flake’s still got a shot at a seat on the appropriations committee. Here’s Amanda Carpenter reporting for Townhall.
Although earmark hawk Rep. Jeff Flake (R.-Ariz.) may be a long-shot for the spot, he’s is still in the running to be appointed to the House Appropriations Committee.
…A coalition of conservative and taxpayer advocacy groups support [...]