It is more than a little strange that GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum has been hammered by his opponents—and may be hammered by Democrats if he wins the nomination—for his past support for earmarks. That’s when a member of Congress tags for specific purposes federal funds that are going back to the states.
Earmarks have been a gateway drug to rampant federal spending for both parties for many years. Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has frequently exposed many of the earmarks lurking in federal bills. And now the Republican National Committee recently released a study, “Where Did All the Money Go?,” identifying some of the earmarks included in President Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus package. (From CNSNews)
· $54 million to help construct a Napa Valley Wine Train.
· $221,355 for an Indiana university to study why young men dislike using condoms.
· $35,000 to teach basket weaving in Maine.
· $15,000 to teach the Dutch-Hop polka in Nebraska.
· $50,000 for a Chicago theater to put on a play called “Rod Blagojevich Superstar.”
And that’s just to name a few.
President Obama is in full-blown campaign mode, with a key platform being to raise the taxes of higher-income workers. He claims the country needs the additional revenue.
But before the American people agree to support the president’s drive for higher taxes they should first demand that the federal government cut the wasteful spending—or better yet, cut the wasteful spender.