Thursday, March 12, 2009

Mr. President, did you blink or wink?

No more earmarks. Except for this one exception.

Mr. President, you lost alot of credibility on this one.

All you had to say was no.

And you didn't. Or couldn't. Or wouldn't.

You didn't say no to the Republican or the Democratic spendthrifts.

Your pet doberman, Raul Emmanuel, said this was "last year's business."

Oh, really. The money will be spent in the future. You had the chance this week to sign or veto the bill. And you signed it. In private. Nobody wanted the photo op.

The bill contains 8,816 earmarks worth $7.6 billion , according to Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Notable among them are $155.9 million worth of projects that six members of the Obama administration who were members of Congress last year, when the bill was originally written, inserted into the bill.

Top among them was Vice President Joe Biden . As a senator from Delaware , Biden added 56 earmarks that cost a total of $52.1 million , including $13.7 million for the Intracoastal Waterway from the Delaware River to the Chesapeake Bay and $190,000 to help build a children's museum in Wilmington .

Others:

— White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who as a House member from Illinois added 16 earmarks worth about $8.3 million , including money for a Chicago planetarium and suburban children's museum.

— Interior Secretary Ken Salazar , formerly a Democratic senator from Colorado , $44.6 million .

— Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood , formerly a Republican congressman from Illinois , $26.5 million .

— Labor Secretary Hilda Solis , formerly a Democratic House member from California , $15.5 million .

— Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , formerly a Democratic senator from New York , $6.7 million .

Mr. President, you lied to us. You let us down. This was a chance for real change. And you blew it.

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