Michelle Malkin » 9,000 earmarks in the $410 billion omnibus spending bill: Gang tattoo removal, Maine lobster, La Raza & more!

9,000 earmarks in the $410 billion omnibus spending bill: Gang tattoo removal, Maine lobster, La Raza & more!

By Michelle Malkin • February 23, 2009 11:11 PM

You want earmarks? There are lots and lots and lots of earmarks in the $410 billion omnibus spending bill coming down the road. Not that any of the people who are going to vote for it will actually read it, of course. If they did, they couldn’t look into the camera and sanctimoniously declare that, uh, you know, “There are no earmarks.”

The Modesto Bee reports:

During the 2008 presidential campaign, candidates Barack Obama and John McCain fought vigorously over who would be toughest on congressional earmarks.

“We need earmark reform,” Obama said in September during a presidential debate in Oxford, Miss. “And when I’m president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely.”

President Barack Obama should prepare to carve out a lot of free time and keep the coffee hot this week as Congress prepares to unveil a $410 billion omnibus spending bill that’s riddled with thousands of earmarks, despite his calls for restraint and efforts on Capitol Hill to curtail the practice.

The bill will contain about 9,000 earmarks totaling $5 billion, congressional officials say. Many of the earmarks — loosely defined as local projects inserted by members of Congress — were inserted last year as the spending bills worked their way through various committees.

So while Obama and McCain were slamming earmarks on the camp aign trail, House and Senate members — Democrats and Republicans — were slapping them into spending bills.

“It will be a little embarrassing for the president if he signs a bill with that many earmarks on it,” said Stan Collender, a veteran Washington budget analyst.

Hill staffer Tom Jones is going through the omnibus spending bill with a fine-tooth comb, and Twittering his earmark findings, including:

* $200,000 for “Tattoo Removal Violence Prevention Outreach Program,” pg. 283;

*Maine lobster earmark in the omnibus, pg. 173;

*$5.8 million earmark for the “Ted Kennedy Institute for the Senate…for the planning and design of a building & an endowment,” pg. 232;

*and National Council of La Raza, $473,000 earmark from Sens. Bingaman and Menendez, pg. 212.

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#101

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:53 am, Misscheryl said:

I brought up the idea of a petition of “no confidence.” I’m not sure constitutionally that it could accomplish anything but I think it would go a long way to unify us.
#102

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:54 am, happyscrapper said:

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:47 am, Misscheryl said:
Will we be getting tattos the number 666 on our foreheads to help identify us and keep us from escaping our obligations
fixed

Actually, 666 is for the non-believers so they can get food. You want to avoid that at ALL costs.
#103

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:55 am, sonofdy said:

No worries, the U.N. has your back.

As a former UN peacekeeper, I stick my tounge out at you!!!
#104

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:59 am, happyscrapper said:

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:55 am, sonofdy said: As a former UN peacekeeper, I stick my tongue out at you!!!

Were you really? How did that work out for you? Why did you leave? I know I am nosy…you don’t have to answer if you don’t want.
#105

On February 24th, 2009 at 10:01 am, jangar said:

happyscrapper said:
Osama lies with every breath he takes,

So does Obama.
#106

On February 24th, 2009 at 10:03 am, flmom said:

happyscrapper said:
Osama lies with every breath he takes,

Freudian slip?
#107

On February 24th, 2009 at 10:07 am, sonofdy said:

Were you really? How did that work out for you? Why did you leave? I know I am nosy…you don’t have to answer if you don’t want.

Yes, 6 months in FYROM with the 2/15 inf. 1995. It was basicaly an easy assignment but with ROE that ensured that if fighting started that we would all die before getting permission from NYC to fire back. We were only allowed to carry 1 30 round magazine each. BTW UN officals make ALOT of money, plus get thier housing, utilities, food, and transportation paid for. One couple even had a UN paid nanny/tutor for thier kids. THEN they get paid thier salaries, for which they mostly just sat arround and did nothing to earn. Now ask me how I know what those soldiers caputured during the Kosovo war, from macedonia were REALLY doing just before capture. (hint, upstairs above places like that are usualy brothels.)
#108

On February 24th, 2009 at 10:34 am, ThatSamIAm said:

Obama, Reid, Pelosi and the rest of the socialists are showing all the restraint of a two year old in a toy story. No cost is too great if you really really really want something. They really really really want to spend the U.S. into collapse.
#109

On February 24th, 2009 at 10:40 am, happyscrapper said:

Freudian slip?

Apparently.
#110

On February 24th, 2009 at 10:42 am, happyscrapper said:

On February 24th, 2009 at 10:07 am, sonofdy said:

Wow. That is really interesting. Not surprising, but interesting. We sure do come from all walks of life on this blog, don’t we?
#111

On February 24th, 2009 at 10:58 am, kthomas8268 said:

These a**h**** can’t help themselves can they?!! Gawd this really does call for people to wake up and maybe even take back our government by FORCE if necessary!
#112

On February 24th, 2009 at 10:59 am, sonofdy said:

Yes we do. The biggest think I learned from FYROM was how not to do things. That and stripping your baby naked, placing it on a cardboard box and hoping people give it money is a legitimate form of begging.

Yes I really did see that.
#113

On February 24th, 2009 at 11:02 am, sonofdy said:

think = thing. ugh
#114

On February 24th, 2009 at 11:11 am, Jeff2161 said:

Government in a nutshell…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfJe8hQ8ha0
#115

On February 24th, 2009 at 11:25 am, pressto said:

The media has kind of blown over the fact this is the longest the US has been without a budget in its history under Queen Pelosi rule. Also the deficit was at $400 Billion for 2008, with $300 Billion the one time tax rebate, so I want to know where the heck this $1.3 Trillion deficit is coming from?
#116

On February 24th, 2009 at 11:28 am, jjmurphy said:

so I want to know where the heck this $1.3 Trillion deficit is coming from?

From us. Government cannot create wealth, only redistribute it.
#117

On February 24th, 2009 at 1:13 pm, lgm said:

Thanks to MM and others like her for speaking out on these issues. There still is time to fix some of these problems.

On the other hand, the new budget is not all bad:

$410B Spending Bill Strikes Blow For Truth-Based Sex Ed, Science
#118

On February 24th, 2009 at 2:50 pm, Salt said:

On February 24th, 2009 at 1:13 pm, lgm said:

Thanks to MM and others like her for speaking out on these issues. There still is time to fix some of these problems.

On the other hand, the new budget is not all bad:

$410B Spending Bill Strikes Blow For Truth-Based Sex Ed, Science

A TPM link? Really? I thought you had given up on that.

You do realize that raising a point about a $14M decrease in spending associated with a bill that proposes a $410B increase in spend is a joke, right?
#119

On February 25th, 2009 at 5:27 pm, Zippy_Slug said:

Passed the house.. Yeah!
#120

On February 25th, 2009 at 8:31 pm, old trooper said:

I have my La Raza contribution ready.
OO Buckshot and I don’t call 911 or buy flowers. Same for ACORN.