It is just the sort of parochial spending request that might lead Senator John McCain, nemesis of pork barrel projects, to give somebody an earful.
The bill would direct $2 million annually over five years to establish a center at a specified law school to honor a renowned jurist from the state. While the goal may be laudable, some critics say, the measure is a classic case of lawmakers' trying to funnel money directly to a home-state institution for a project that should find financing elsewhere.
But it is doubtful that Mr. McCain will weigh in against the idea this time: the legislation to support the project is being sponsored by him and Senator Jon Kyl, Arizona Republicans who are among those aggressively promoting new rules for handling Congressional spending requests.- Foe of Earmarks Has a Pet Cause of His Own, The New York Times, February 18, 2006
He's against earmarks, except when they fit into his own, tight little definition. He's against the tax cuts, except when they suit his own, special interests. He's against lobbyists, except when they are bringing in campaign dollars and running his campaign. He was against the Martin Luther King holiday, except when he had to appeal to African-American voters. He was against torture and waterboarding, except when he voted against a bill to ban the practices. He is pro-environment, except he has received a rating of zero on his environmental voting. He is for the military, except when he has to vote for the new GI Bill. He is a man of honor and straight talk, except when he has the worst attendance record of any member of the United States Senate. The litany of position changes goes on and on and on. John McCain's hands are not clean and in the past ten days we have taken our focus off of where it should be. On John McCain. This faux maverick is still his party's presidential candidate and the one who will continue the damage that has been wrought for most of the last three decades. An admitted foot soldier in the Reagan revolution, he will continue his mentor's trickle-down economic policies that has transferred nearly half of this country's wealth to the rich. He will continue the contemptible Bush tax cuts that will reward the well-to-do and undercut the less fortunate. He will continue the non-existent foreign policies that have led to too many American deaths and denigration of the military. He is the one who would be able to choose conservative, activist judges that will take away a woman's right to choose, undermine privacy and condone spying on innocent citizens. His election would institutionalize the agenda first established by Barry Goldwater and may permanently push the Democratic Party out of the White House. Give his campaign credit. The selection of Sarah Palin has taken our eyes off the ball, but that has to come to a stop. It's time to get back in the game and return our mindset on the path towards defeating Arizona Senator John McCain.