See No Earmarks

• In theory and publicity, the new $787 billion stimulus bill contains no earmarks, not even a single one. And that’s true — at least according to the new Democratic definition of “earmark.”
• Not so long ago — before President Obama’s inauguration — “earmarks” referred to the special appropriations that bypass the normal budget process to cater to special interests and protect the incumbents who inserted them. The difference now is that the politicians have gotten much better at disguising their handiwork. Under the cover of emergency spending, the projects have also grown

Read Full Post »