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Harry Hope · Guest

Earmarks had blossomed under GOP control of Congress.

Former Republican leaders Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and Tom DeLay,
R-Texas, advocated the practice to help cement GOP majorities.

The public has been angered by scandals such as the bribery conviction
of former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif., who took more than
$2.4 million in using his seat on the House Appropriations Committee
to obtain earmarks on behalf of defense contractors.

From The Associated Press, 3/7/07:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/03/07/national/w084823S02.DTL

Watchdog Cheers at Decline in 'Pork'

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON, (AP) --

After seven record-breaking years in a row, the number and cost of
so-called pork barrel projects is way down, thanks to voter outrage
and a one-year moratorium imposed by Democrats after taking over
Congress.

That's good news, according to Citizens Against Government Waste, a
watchdog group that has railed against congressional "earmarks" for
years.

"There are no indoor rain forests, National Peanut Festivals, mariachi
music grants, or teapot museums to be found," according to the group's
annual "Pig Book."

For the uninitiated, "pork" means homestate and home district projects
specially set aside in congressional spending measures, chiefly the 11
annual appropriations bills.

The reason, said the group, is that Senate GOP conservatives put a
halt to moves late last year to pass a huge pork-laden spending bill
wrapping up unfinished budget work.

Instead, it fell to Democrats to finish the job last month, and the
chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations committees declared a
one-year ban on most back-home projects until reforms could be put in
place.

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How about that

Harry