What's all this earmark fuss McDramaQueen keeps yammering on about?

[ourbluenation]

McCain's bizarre earmark obsession
Sat, 09/27/2008 - 11:44am

I remain completely baffled by John McCain's windmill-tilting at federal earmarks.

In last night's presidential debate, the Arizona senator first began by talking about how the United States is in a "fiscal crisis" rather than a financial or credit crisis. Yet U.S. deficit spending as a percentage of GDP is not particularly high in historical terms, and now that there is a flight to safety in the markets, the U.S. government is able to borrow money at a near-zero interest rate. Yes, there is a looming fiscal calamity ahead, but the main problem today has to do with a freezing up of the credit markets, not the federal government's deficit spending.

What's more, McCain seems not to understand that earmarks are just a tiny piece of the fiscal picture. As Barack Obama pointed out during the debate, earmarks represent just $18 billion out of a much larger pie. Compare that to the projected 2009 deficit (not counting the bailout) of roughly $500 billion. Or compare it to the total federal budget of about $3 trillion.

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/node/9908

[melody]

1. It's like Rainman mumbling about Kmart

Perseverations by the critically impaired.*

* my apologies to Rainman

[ourbluenation]

2. the boxer shorts have to come from k-mart...in Cincinnati.

[Lithos]

3. To add...

McCain is also trying to imply that their use is growing at an explosive rate which is not true. 2006 saw the greatest number of dollars being added as earmarks while 2008 is about 10% less (if memory serves me). In other words, this is not a problem getting out of control.

L-

[ourbluenation]

4. PLus - turns out that Bear DNA earmark he complains about he actually voted for.

you can't make this stuff up.