Anti-Spending Rep. Todd Tiahrt Blames Increase in Office Payroll on Obama

Republican Rep. Todd Tiahrt of Kansas, a fierce critic of government spending, has been criticized in recent days for the fact that his office payroll increased to more than $1 million in 2009.

Spending on Tiahrt's office, which is paid for by taxpayers, increased 11 percent last year amid an increase of 22 percent in personnel, according to the Wichita Eagle.

The Eagle reports that Tiahrt, who is running for Senate, spent about $100,000 of his increased staffing costs on people who worked on his campaign as well as in his official office. But Tiahrt spokesman Sam Sackett pointed to the man in the Oval Office to explain the increase in spending on Tiahrt's congressional office.

Sackett said that now that President Obama is in office, Tiahrt's office gets more than 200 calls a day from constituents in his conservative district, up from 50 to 60 calls a day under President George W. Bush.

"We had to employ a number of people to answer phone calls," he told the Eagle.

Sackett said Tiahrt has instituted a salary freeze for his office employees this year.