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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#631338

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:36 am, sonofdy said:

When this passes, the democratic congress, and obama will have spent more than the cost of all the military operations in the entire middle east and Afganistan for the last 10 years combined, in less than 2 months. And they will have done nothing to pay for any of it. So when obama says tonight, I will cut the defict in half, he will be lying to your face.

Welcome to bankruptcy. Your slave number will be your SSN.
#631341

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:38 am, Misscheryl said:

Don’t these idiots even pretend to ~~understand~~ respect the Constitution

Fixed it. Words are noise, actions are thunder. I think their actions are very loud. We just refuse to accept it, nor can we believe that that is what they are saying.
#631342

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:39 am, TXGator said:

sonofdy said:

Welcome to bankruptcy. Your slave number will be your SSN.

Can’t be your SSN. That would hurt too many illegals that were forced by the white man to steal identities.
#631343

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:39 am, jangar said:

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:34 am, Hannibal said:
Today I believe they are presenting and voting on giving D.C. its own full voting representative.

Another permanent Democrat seat.
#631346

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:43 am, jsr said:

Your slave number will be your SSN.

Will we be getting tattos to help identify us and keep us from escaping our obligations? I’m pretty sure, at least for me, it will be utterly worthless in terms of receiving any part of the vast sums I have paid our masters the past 25 or 30 years to keep in the SS lock box for me.
#631347

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:43 am, happyscrapper said:

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:25 am, sonofdy said:
And 900 billion to gaza? FEAKING GAZA???

That is directly funding HAMAS who wants to KILL us!!!

No no no. You don’t understand. The money will be funneled through the U.N. which PROMISES none of it will get to hamas. They promised. Don’t you feel ever so much better now? No worries, the U.N. has your back.
#631348

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:45 am, wrcnossen said:

Over the last 50 years we have created a nation of beggars, standing with their hands out waiting for their master(government) to provide for their wants and needs.

We must teach these people the most important word in national economics – NO!
#631350

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:45 am, AuntiEm said:

Page 20
Minority Unemployment
The Secretary of Labor shall provide a report to the Committees on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate by July 1,2009
detailing the actions that the Department will take under existing authorities to
ensure that its programs and policies are oriented to reduce the disparities in
unemployment rates across racial and ethnic groups.
#631352

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:46 am, wighttrasch said:

It will be a little embarrassing for the president

There is no shame in ‘that one’.

Ok, none in Congress either.
#631353

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
#631355

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:48 am, sambo said:

tpitman said:

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

Michelle, they inserted them last year. Doesn’t that make it Bush’s fault again?

Was Bush in the House or Senate…I can’t remember.
#631357

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:51 am, Kevin K. said:

On February 24th, 2009 at 8:48 am, On-my-soap-box said: (#61)

You know, someone brought up a vote of “no confidence”. Can someone tell us if that is a real and viable option?

I think this only works in a parliamentary system–Canada’s or Great Britain’s, for examples.
#631358

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:52 am, Misscheryl said:

Never has the term “pearls before swine” meant so much.
#631359

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:52 am, happyscrapper said:

As much as I hate the thought of listening to that man and his uh…uh….um…lies tonight, we do need to hear whathehastosay. (just trying to sound like him in writing…did it work?) I am just glad my husband will be gone this evening so he won’t hear me swearing at the TV. He might come home to a smashed one, however. Osama lies with every breath he takes, then goes all smiley and makes a joke and everyone bows down. Pure evil.
#631361

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.
#631362

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.
#631363

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!!!
#631365

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.
#631369

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

happyscrapper said:
Osama lies with every breath he takes,

So does Obama.
#631372

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

happyscrapper said:
Osama lies with every breath he takes,

Freudian slip?
#631377

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.)
#631404

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.
#631412

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

Freudian slip?

Apparently.
#631414

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?
#631432

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!
#631433

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.
#631438

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

think = thing. ugh
#631452

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

Government in a nutshell…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfJe8hQ8ha0
#631470

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?
#631476

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.
#631622

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
#631816

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?
#633588

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

Passed the house.. Yeah!
#633714

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.