Hogs At The Congressional Trough

The "waste in Washington" is generally described as the frivolous money being spent by members of Congress and Senators alike who push large contracts back to their own districts. Giuliani loves to decry these on the campaign trail, despite being a recipient of numerous earmarks himself. Bush and others high up in the GOP lambast the earmarks, supposedly trying to act like good conservatives that rein in wasteful spending. Of course reality has a way of getting in these people's shpeels. Ted Stevens(R-AK) and Thad Cochran(R-MS) personify the GOP brand, one that wastes more than any other sets of politicians at any other given time.

From The Hill:

Sen. Thad Cochran (Miss.), ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, has collected $774 million worth of earmarks in 12 spending bills. After Cochran, Sen. Ted Stevens (Alaska), the second-ranking Republican on Appropriations, secured more money for special projects than any other member of Congress: $502 million.

Rep. Bill Young (Fla.), the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, is the second-biggest recipient of earmarked funds in the House, securing $161 million. Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), the subcommittee’s chairman, secured $162 million in funds.

Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan group that tracks earmarks and federal spending, compiled the figures.

Sure, there will be Democrats in that list. Not only Republicans are susceptible to greed and the old boys network. Still, there has never been a culture of corruption like that of the current GOP majority minority