Oink! Book Has Congress' Biggest Porkers

Report Shows Where Billions Of Tax Dollars Are Going: Earmarks

(CBS)  The newest "pig book" - detailing the biggest congressional porkers - is out Wednesday, and it's filled with questionable pet projects paid for by your tax dollars. CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson takes a look.

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Despite all the talk on Capitol Hill about the need to cut back and even halt earmarks, the latest report shows it's an addiction many seem to find hard to break.

Helping disadvantaged youth get into the game of golf sounds like a good idea. That's what a program called "First Tee" does. It's got tons of corporate support.

And First Tee is overseen by a group with a contingent of executives pulling in healthy, six-figure salaries.

So why is $3 million of your tax money also going to support it? And from the military budget. no less?

It's all thanks to Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who gave First Tee the money in an earmark.

An earmark is a grant of money outside the normal public review.

"You know, when you're at war, and you know you got a war on two fronts, the first thing you think of is golf, isn't it?" said Leslie Paige, vice president of the tax watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste. "That's the first thing that comes to mind."

First Tee is just one of the so-called "pork projects" highlighted in the new "Pig Book," put out by Citizens Against Government Waste.

The Pig Book portrays a Congress with an insatiable appetite for "pork," spending your tax dollars on pet projects, often to help members win votes - or campaign contributions.

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Citizens Against Government Waste 2008 Pig Book Summary

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There's $3 million to help the diamond trade.

Nearly a $1million to manage noxious weeds in Idaho.

And there's money for the National Mule and Packers Museum, and a walking tour of a tiny town in Virginia - with a population of 474.

There are more earmarks than ever this year - 11,600 of them - totaling more than $17 billion tax dollars.

What's wrong with members of Congress trying to get money for their district?

"There is no competitive bidding," Paige said. "There is no accountability. So this is money that is secretive and unaccountable. That is not a way to spend taxpayer dollars. In fact, it is an invitation to corruption."

Enough members of Congress agree with that thought that there's been a push to stop all earmarks. At least temporarily.

Both Democratic presidential candidates, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, voted for the moratorium, but it hasn't gotten enough support to pass.

Does that mean Obama and Clinton aren't big earmarkers?

While they both say they want a moratorium, both have a healthy load of earmarks going this year - nearly $300 million worth for Clinton and nearly $100 million for Obama.

Sen. John McCain, the Republican candidate for president, simply doesn't do earmarks.

[BlueInWI]

How about a story on tax incentives for oil companies, bailing out Bear Stearns when the most Federal insurance you or I can get on their savings is $100,000, or no bid contracts in Iraq?

Oops. Sorry - that might impact some of CBS''s sponsors. Nevermind.

Earmarks are a problem. But they have actually dropped as a percentage of the budget since the Dems took control; and Republicans blocked reform in this area for the 6 years they were in control; while also running up an additional $4,000,000,000,000 in federal debt.

Thanks for reminding me why I don''t watch CBS News, or any other mainstream corporate media outlet, anymore.

How about a story about the U.S. servicewomen raped and sodomized by KBR and American soldiers in Iraq that was reported in the Nation and other magazines?... Oops, sorry - I forgot CBS wants to keep the FCC happy so it will cut merger regulations even further...

[rebelscout]

Hey coco0331 google or yahoo search citizens against goverment waste. They have the list on their site.

[coco0331]

Attkisson pointed to three Democrats, no republicans, and said a lot of nothing. I don''t agree with the first Tee idea at all. She might have directed everyone on how to obtain a copy.

[rushlimpdrug]

The true idiots are those who feel themselves superior enough to judge others to be idiots.
Posted by guysdigdirt at 05:27 PM

How true.
Also in the idiot category are guys that think guys dig dirt and yet they themselves bathe and wash their trucks.

[arlt1627]

Chuck Hagel one great American and would vote for him today if I could I can hear him now what he would do. The only republican I would vote for

Posted by starleo14672 at 04:44 PM : Apr 02, 2008


Totally agreed. However, I''d love to see members of both parties come more to the middle like Hagel. And better yet, see those people get support during Primary seasons to actually be considered for President. Why is it that "moderate" Americans do not demand moderates get into office???

[bobnjersey]

[The true idiots are those who feel themselves superior enough to judge others to be idiots.]
[Posted by guysdigdirt at 05:27 PM : Apr 02, 2008]

this is true ... if they only feel that way.

[arlt1627]

So if Boeing is not American, does that mean Ford Motors is NOT American then?

[guysdigdirt]

it''''s really quite simple ... anyone who defends the idiots ... are idiots themselves.

Posted by bobnjersey

The true idiots are those who feel themselves superior enough to judge others to be idiots.

[vrwctoo]

Sosoe...

Yet another person who knows little. What do you mean McCain lobbyied for the fuel tanker? He didnt lobby for anything. He just had an investigation that exposed Boeing''s corruption, that all started with... AN EARMARK for a no-bid lease for Boeing''s tankers!! People went to jail, Boeing was fined. Look it up.

The Air Force finally did it right, they had an open bid process and Boeing lost and Northrop Grumman won. Last I checked, Northrop is an American company. They are just working with EADS.

Check out Boeing''s plane parts, they are made overseas too.

Get your facts straight.

[sosoe-2009]

McCain doesn''t do earmarks, he just DOES LOBBYIST!! McCain and his ADVISORS LOBBIED for a 35 BILLION contract to take jobs from Boeing Aircraft workers. McCain helped give the contract to a EUROPEAN company. Way To Go!!

[forthepeopl1]

and miss piggy does it again, open mouth and insert huffs

She didn%u2019t know about the FALN pardons.
%u2022 She didn%u2019t know that her brothers were being paid to get pardons that Clinton granted.
%u2022 Taking the White House gifts was a clerical error.
%u2022 She didn%u2019t know that her staff would fire the travel office staff after she told them to do so.
%u2022 She didn%u2019t know that the Peter Paul fundraiser in Hollywood in 2000 cost $700,000 more than she reported it had.
%u2022 She opposed NAFTA at the time.
%u2022 She was instrumental in the Irish peace process.
%u2022 She urged Bill to intervene in Rwanda.
%u2022 She played a role in the %u201990s economic recovery.
%u2022 The billing records showed up on their own.
%u2022 She thought Bill was innocent when the Monica scandal broke.
%u2022 She was always a Yankees fan.
%u2022 She had nothing to do with the New Square Hasidic pardons (after they voted for her 1,400-12 and she attended a meeting at the White House about the pardons).
%u2022 She negotiated for the release of refugees in Macedonia (who were released the day before she got there).

[starleo146]

if there were republicans that could think for themselves (other than chuck hagel), the proceedings would surely be seriously considered. nobody''''s going to take it there if they don''''t think they''''ll succeed. if there was any lesson of the boondoggle of the clinton impeachment it was this.

these idiots ignore the rule of law and the support of the constitution on a daily basis ... which they swore to uphold on innauguration day ... any one of which would be foundation for impeachment.

Posted by bobnjersey at 04:20 PM : Apr 02, 2008

Chuck Hagel one great American and would vote for him today if I could I can hear him now what he would do. The only republican I would vote for

[bobnjersey]

[Or do you purposely ignore all that so you can continue to scream the impeachment crapp?]
[Posted by notblue at 04:32 PM : Apr 02, 2008]

who''s screaming ... other than you?

it''s really quite simple ... anyone who defends the idiots ... are idiots themselves.

and on the issue of ignoring ... you should reflect on that when you have some time to yourself.

[bobnjersey]

[Sen. John McCain, the Republican candidate for president, simply doesn''''t do earmarks. Pretty much says it all. McCain has integrity. Something Clobama will never have.]
[Posted by mbcsmith at 04:13 PM : Apr 02, 2008]

but he did vote for studying bear''s dna in montana ... the very same example he uses as a case of wasteful govt. spending.

[notblue]

bonjersey, keep drinking the kool-aid, if the Dems just started the process the liberal media would use that as a headline for weeks!, they as a MAJORITY can start the procees without any "blockage" that will only happen when the vote to actually impeach is presented. Maybe the lying Dems have something to hide from the screaming child leftwing also, ever thought of that possibility? Do recall the INVESTIGATIONS regarding the pre-war intelligence? Remeber the televised interogations of CIA, FBI, etc.? Or do you purposely ignore all that so you can continue to scream the impeachment crapp?

[bobnjersey]

[If your Dem majority had any real evidence of wrong doing, especially after their countless investigations, those proceedings would have already started. Even if thier majority is not enough to actually impeach they would be making a statement for the history books and their constituents. ]
[Posted by notblue at 04:06 PM : Apr 02, 2008]

this is not true. majority means nothing ... cause everything they move forward gets blocked by the right or vetoed by gwb ... followed by a monolithic vote from the right to prevent an override.

if there were republicans that could think for themselves (other than chuck hagel), the proceedings would surely be seriously considered. nobody''s going to take it there if they don''t think they''ll succeed. if there was any lesson of the boondoggle of the clinton impeachment it was this.

these idiots ignore the rule of law and the support of the constitution on a daily basis ... which they swore to uphold on innauguration day ... any one of which would be foundation for impeachment.

[vrwctoo]

Hey... GetCentered...

You mean the amendment written and introduced by Sen Jim DeMint that called for a year moratorium on earmarks?

O & C were co-sponsors. It has been mentioned in the news that Obama and Clinton signed on.

How many earmarks did Obama get? 53
How many earmarks did Clinton get? 281
How many earmarks did McCain get? 0
How many earmarks did DeMint get? 0

Gee... you dont think C & O co-sponsoring the amendment was political, do you?

rafterman1:
Sleep on.....

[mbcsmith]

Sharyl Attkisson is a GOP tool......


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Posted by getcentered at 04:10 PM : Apr 02, 2008



She told the truth, unlike that LIB TOOL Dan Rather.

[mbcsmith]

While they both say they want a moratorium, both have a healthy load of earmarks going this year - nearly $300 million worth for Clinton and nearly $100 million for Obama.

Sen. John McCain, the Republican candidate for president, simply doesn''t do earmarks.



Pretty much says it all. McCain has integrity. Something Clobama will never have.