Smell The Bacon

WSJ today:

"Just when you thought Republicans had sworn off pork spending, along comes an emergency appropriations bill that has Capitol Hill engulfed in the unmistakable aroma of bacon. President Bush has requested $92.2 billion for Iraq and hurricane relief, to which GOP Senators have added $14 billion or more in earmarks to benefit casino operators, condo developers, the shrimp and oyster industry, defense contractors, cotton and corn farmers and other urgent priorities. Mr. Bush threatens his first-ever veto unless the spending bill is cut back to below $95 billion.

Running to the taxpayers' rescue is Senate pork-buster Tom Coburn, last seen battling Alaska's infamous $233 million Bridge to Nowhere. As early as today the Oklahoma Republican will force an up-or-down vote on whether to strip the bill of $700 million for the proposed 'Railroad to Nowhere.' This pet project of Mississippi Republicans Trent Lott and Thad Cochran would reroute railroad tracks that CSX spent $250 million to repair after Hurricane Katrina. The Senators wish to make room for a new road that would just happen to service the gambling and beachfront condominium district of Biloxi."

But the WSJ is a bit late.

Here is the Porkbusters report on the Senate vote which continues spending on the "Railroad to Nowhere":

"Let us all take a moment to honor those brave Senators who stood up for pork barrel spending; who rose to the challenge and declared with one voice 'Screw reform. More pork, please!'

Roll call of shame is below...

Akaka (D-HI)
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Burns (R-MT)
Byrd (D-WV)
Clinton (D-NY)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
Dayton (D-MN)
DeWine (R-OH)
Domenici (R-NM)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Frist (R-TN)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Martinez (R-FL)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Pryor (D-AR)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Vitter (R-LA)
Warner (R-VA)"

I take special note, for various reasons, of the following Senators supporting pork: Allard (my own), Byrd (does he ever vote against spending?), Clinton (pork Presidential?), Coleman, DeWine, Dorgan, Feinstein, Frist, Hatch, Kennedy (what else is new?), Landrieu (I'll vote for your pork if you'll vote for mine), Leahy (bigger is government is always better government no matter the reason?), Murkowski, Schumer (oil evil, government good, eh?), Specter, Stevens (why not a railroad to nowhere, I have a bridge to nowhere), Warner.

Do you know where your Senator was yesterday?