Low marks for Specter, Casey on Senate RePORK Card

The Club for Growth has released its 2007 Senate RePORK Card, grading all 100 Senators on their voting record when it comes to pork-barrel spending projects.

Pennsylvania's two senators, veteran Republican Arlen Specter and freshman Democrat Bob Casey Jr. have something in common. Both are at the top (or is that bottom?) of the list for failing to curb wasteful spending.

Specter has a reputation as a RINO (Republican In Name Only) and this latest survey isn't going to help him with conservative Republican voters. As for Casey, we all knew he was a lost cause. He's settled at the bottom of the Senate barrel.

The Club For Growth graded each senator on his or her vote on 15 anti-pork amendments throughout 2007.

Only three senators who were present for a majority of the votes -- Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Richard Burr (R-NC) -- a perfect score of 100 percent.

Sen. John McCain also received a 100% grade, but he only cast two votes on the 15 bills tracked by the Club For Growth.

Bob Casey Jr. earned one of the worst grades in the Senate, finishing with a 7 percent mark. Arlen Specter didn't fare much better. He earned a 13 percent mark from The Club For Growth. Specter had one of the worst grades for a Senate Republican.

"For all the talk about fiscal responsibility, it is clear that many senators are more interested in securing pet projects than living up to their campaign promises," Club for Growth President Pat Toomey said in a press release. "Fortunately, taxpayers can look at the Club for Growth's House and Senate RePORK Cards and hold their senators and representatives accountable for wasting taxpayer dollars on hippie museums and beaches."

The full report card can be viewed at The Club For Growth Web site.

Some interesting findings from The Club For Growth analysis:

The average Republican score was 59 percent; the average Democratic score was 12 percent.

Of the Democratic Party presidential contenders, Sen. Barack Obama scored 33 percent, while Sen. Joe Biden scored 17 percent. And Sen. Hillary Clinton? She came in at 11 percent, one of the lowest scores in the survey.

The only senator receiving a 0 was Tim Johnson (D-SD), who voted against all 10 anti-pork amendments he was present for.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) scored a 53 percent; Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) scored a 7 percent, voting for only one amendment.

For more about wasteful Congressional spending, check out the Porkbusters Web site.