Democrats and Pork Spending

Citizens Against Government Waste has released its 2008 Congressional Pig Book detailing more than $17 billion in pork spending by members of Congress.

"When Congress adopted earmark reforms last year, there was hope that the number and cost of earmarks would be cut in half. By any measure, that has not occurred," CAGW President Tom Schatz said in a press release.

In fiscal year 2008, Congress stuffed 11,610 projects (the second highest total ever) worth $17.2 billion into the 12 appropriations bills, according to the watchdog group.

That is a 337 percent increase over the 2,658 projects in fiscal year 2007, and a 30 percent increase over the $13.2 billion total in fiscal year 2007, the tax group reports.

Alaska led the nation with $556 in pork per capita ($380 million total), followed by Hawaii with $221 ($283 million) and North Dakota with $208 ($133 million).

Yes, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are on the list, but not Sen. John McCain, who introduced zero earmarks for his home state of Arizona.

Sen. Clinton secured 281 pork projects, for a total of $296.2 million, according to the tax group.

Sen. Obama secured 53 pork projects, for a total of $97.4 million, the group says.

Democrats talk the talk, but they obviously don't walk the walk.

Pennsylvania ranked 35th on the list of Pork Per Capita by State, but one of the worst offenders in Congress is Rep. John Murtha, a Democrat from western Pennsylvania.

Read the full report and see where your member of Congress came in at the Citizens Against Government Waste Web site. You can go directly to a list by Senators here or a list by House members here.

Democrats have controlled both houses of Congress for 15 months, but pork spending is still out-of-control. All their promises about "draining the swamp" in Washington, D.C., was more empty rhetoric.

CAGW has identified $271 billion in total pork since 1991.

It's time for voters to stop voting party and start replacing the ruling Political Class, including Democrats like Murtha and Pelosi and Kennedy and Rangel and Byrd and Durbin and Reid.

The reason nothing changes in Washington, D.C., is that the permanent Political Class is kept in place year after year primarily by Democratic voters.

If you can't trust yourself to do the right thing and vote out the career politicians, stay home on Election Day. The money you save may be your own.

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government. This is the 18th year the group has released its Congressional Pig Book.