Pelosi Breaks Her Promise On Pork

National Review Online: Failed Earmark Reform Shows Speaker Conducts Business As Usual

(National Review Online)  This column was written by Stephen Spruiell.

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Did Nancy Pelosi do anything wrong when she sponsored a $25 million earmark for a waterfront-redevelopment project near several properties in which her husband has a financial stake? It depends on whether she had any reason to believe that the project would cause the values of her husband's properties to rise.

According to new House ethics rules that Speaker Pelosi herself championed back in January, members sponsoring earmarks have to sign a form stating that neither they nor their spouse has any financial interest in the provision. A spokesman for the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee tells National Review Online that Pelosi signed such a statement for the earmark in question.

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill did not return a call seeking comment for this article, but he told an AP reporter that it is "speculative at best" that Pelosi would see a financial gain as a result of this earmark. The problem with such logic is that most future financial gains, especially in real estate, are speculative in nature. Advocates for tougher rules governing earmarks argue that such potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed.

Comparisons between Pelosi's earmark and a similar controversy surrounding Dennis Hastert’s real-estate deals have popped up in the press in recent days. The stories are similar, but with a few illuminating differences. For one, it remains an open question as to whether Hastert properly disclosed his land holdings, which increased in value when he secured $207 million for a new highway nearby.

Pelosi fully disclosed her husband's investments. The only question is whether she acted properly when she certified that she had no financial interest in the waterfront redevelopment project, given the possibility, however "speculative," that it could cause the value of her husband's property to rise.

Also, Hastert's highway project was controversial, and he was by far its most powerful proponent. Pelosi's defenders are pointing out that the Port of San Francisco and the mayor's office approached her with the proposal, which she then included as an earmark in the water-resources-development bill that passed the House last month. In other words, it's not some plan she concocted to help her husband's properties go up in value.

That's true, but it's not the whole story. Earlier this week, a Congressional Quarterly report expanded the timeline:

The Speaker got a $20 million earmark for the same waterfront redevelopment project placed in a bill in July 2005, but the measure died. The following December, her husband increased his interest in one of the properties in question for an amount between $1 million and $5 million, according to financial disclosure forms.

So even though the waterfront-redevelopment project was popular and did not originate in the Speaker's office, the question remains whether Pelosi's husband, investor Paul Pelosi, increased his stake in these properties with an eye towards his wife's likelihood of becoming the next Speaker. Being Speaker of the House has several advantages, one of which is that the earmarks you sponsor tend to get passed. Just ask Dennis Hastert.

For now, it appears that the problem is less with Pelosi's disclosure on this particular earmark and more with the state of earmark reform in general. The Democrats swept into power making a lot of noise about cleaning up the "culture of corruption" in Washington. Earmark reform was a big part of their stated agenda. First, they put a "moratorium on earmarks" until new rules governing them could be put into place. Then the House passed new earmark-disclosure requirements. "It’s good that we're even having this discussion about Pelosi's earmark," Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, tells NRO, "because now [thanks to new disclosure requirements] we know that she's the one who asked for it."

But that’s where Democrats left it. The House rules apply only to the House. The Senate lumped earmark reform into its ethics and lobbying bill, which is now languishing in conference and has yet to take effect. Nevertheless, the Democrats must think these half-measures constitute thorough earmark reform, because the moratorium is long gone. The Water Resources Development Bill contains, along with Pelosi's earmark, more than 800 others. Perhaps the most egregious is a provision to add sand to a California beach famous for its annual sandcastle competition.

The Democrats campaigned as a party that would clean up Washington. But the water-development bill, exemplified by Pelosi's earmark, is nothing if not Beltway business as usual.

[klingon69]

If anyone is going to be called the Village Idiot, it is not Nancy Pelosi.

THE VILLAGE IDIOT IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, GEORGE W BUSH!
Posted by Terrapin78 at 06:06 PM : May 09, 2007

Nah, he is the foolish prince

[klingon69]

Besides, with a lot of buildings that say "for rent" everywhere, it makes more sense to improve or rebuild on those lots than to tear down more nature areas.

Posted by hypnotoad72 at 05:13 PM : May 09, 2007

Not always;
Sometimes it is more cost-effective to build a completely new construct that trying to improve on an existing one. But, I can definately agree on the tearing down of more nature areas.

[klingon69]

Just when did the Republicon's become the party of whiners?
Posted by Terrapin78 at 12:52 PM : May 09, 2007

Never, that's still the sole-domain of the liberals

[taddles-2009]

"Many of Bush's actions seem to indicate a closet liberal.
Posted by mike71067 at 11:00 AM : May 10, 2007"


Look, what the short bus dropped off...

[mike71067]

"Except for Supreme Court judges Bush has been the most liberal Republican president since Gerald Ford."
-Posted by BrooksPerlin at 02:06 AM : May 10, 2007

You're dead-on. The two Supreme Court justices are the best things that Bush has done in 6 years. Many of Bush's actions seem to indicate a closet liberal. Remember when he approved all that money for the National Endowment of the Arts? Who was he trying to impress, the homosexuals? They weren't going to vote for him anyway. I honestly don't know what Bush was thinking most of the time.

[mike71067]

"Nancy is the hotest thing in Congress. Smart, caring, (about more than just the filthy rich ) and good looking."

-Posted by tejasdemo at 10:45 AM : May 10, 2007

It looks like the short bus just arrived. The "hottest thing in Congress"?? What?! Just because a corrupt politician has a v-a-g-i-n-a and a (D) after her name does not make her any better that the corrupt Republicans that were booted last November. This current lot of Democrats are no better than the Republicans, and in some cases, are actually worse.

[tejasdemo]

Nancy is the hotest thing in Congress. Smart, caring, (about more than just the filthy rich ) and good looking.

Sorry Repubs but you aint got a chance.

Go Nancy, Go !!!!!!!!!!!

[tejasdemo]

Nancy is the hotest thing in Congress. Smart, caring, (about more than just the filthy rich ) and good looking.

Sorry Repubs but you aint got a chance.

Go Nancy, Go !!!!!!!!!!!

[blazercoach1]

Creeper,

You are right on to demand more specific facts. You are also right that this may not even be a story yet is given incredible prominence. With the Dems in control now, they will suffer the same sort of ridiculous media tear-em-down attitude that the GOP dealt with.

Remember the Cheney hunting accident? This was front page news...meanwhile, in other news, Iran was promising to build a nuclear weapons program.

It is unfortunate that we have developed a culture more interested in tearing down those who lead us than in actually doing good things to support ourselves.

[blazercoach1]

Creeper,

You are right on to demand more specific facts. You are also right that this may not even be a story yet is given incredible prominence. With the Dems in control now, they will suffer the same sort of ridiculous media tear-em-down attitude that the GOP dealt with.

Remember the Cheney hunting accident? This was front page news...meanwhile, in other news, Iran was promising to build a nuclear weapons program.

It is unfortunate that we have developed a culture more interested in tearing down those who lead us than in actually doing good things to support ourselves.

[creeper00]

"waterfront-redevelopment project near several properties in which her husband has a financial stake?"

This is horrible coverage of what may or may not even be a story. Define "near". Two blocks? Two miles?

Way to go, CBS. You wanted to dish some dirt but you didn't even provide readers with the facts that would prove it was dirt. This is just the latest example of why the mainstream media is losing the regard of Americans.

As for "speculative" nothing was more so than this story.

[creeper00]

"waterfront-redevelopment project near several properties in which her husband has a financial stake?"

Way to go, CBS. Define "near". Two blocks? Two miles?

This story is sad. You wanted to dish some dirt but you couldn't give us the facts to decide whether it was really dirt at all.

Thank you for another example of why the mainstream media is held in such low regard these days.

[brooksperlin]

Apparently liberals don't read "the other side". National Review has been forefront in criticizing the Bush administration for not acting in a conservative manner. Except for Supreme Court judges Bush has been the most liberal Republican president since Gerald Ford.

[wogerwabbit]

guysdigdirt, here's why:

Lying to get us into a war

Torture

Not equipping our troops correctly

Sending our troops on multiple extended tours in Iraq

Not taking care of our troops when they get back home

Bush is a dork

I'm a veteran and an ex-republican who can't stomach how ugly our country has become under this administration.

Tht's only a partial list.

[fairandbal]

If NRO is really honest about their 'policy' of headlining campaign promise breakers (and not really just doing yet another hit piece on a Democratic leader) they're overdue on the following article:
"Bush breaks campaign promise to uphold and defend the constitution".

[sparks224]

Yes, I%u2019m being sarcastic

[sparks224]

I%u2019m just glad the neo-con Republicans aren%u2019t a bunch of corrupt Treasury looters, or anything like that.

[dogpatch6]

I have read the comments for a long time, some of the people posting need to read the stories as they are written. Maybe they can't read, get a life, I have never seen such idiotic comments. CBS should discontinue this forum. Please remember that we live in the same world, and be sensible and kind. Love life and be kind and considerate.

[guysdigdirt]

I appologize to everyone for the multiple postings, I do not know why it is doing this but it is only at the CBS site so I am inclined to think it is something to do with the CBS site.

[guysdigdirt]

I appologize to everyone for the multiple postings, I do not know why it is doing this but it is only at the CBS site so I am inclined to think it is something to do with the CBS site.