Saturday, February 18, 2006

 

McCain Pork is NOT Earmark


Senator John McCain is the nemesis of pork barrel spending, particularly of the earmark kind. It is clear that his bill to direct $2 million annually for 5 years to the University of Arizona to establish a center honoring the late Chief Justice Rehnquist is not an earmark. This is because it wasn't snuck into a bill about something else at the last minute. The taxpayer should note that it is a free standing bill. Mr. McCain's general counsel, Pablo Chavez, confirms "It doesn't have the marks of an earmark.

Besides that, the bill makes it clear that "the public would be well served by a more robust body of scholarship and broader education" about federalism and judicial independence. The school could spend the $2 million a year to have forums for academic discussion, which up to now has apparently not been robust. If you think that is a lot of coffee and donuts, you just don't understand center necessities. You have to provide stipends for politicians and judicial leaders to address the issues of independence, and these forums have to be in a decent place. You want them to have to rely on lobbyists to provide all this?

Unfortunately I was unable to find a porker without an earmark, so just ignore that left ear.

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