No "Pork" For Patrick

(Once more, posting is questionable; I got a bit lucky today, but I don't think that will be the case tomorrow - sorry for being repetitive about this.)

This Guest Opinion appeared in the Bucks County Courier Times today (here)...

Richard Staedtler's May 1 Guest Opinion takes Congressman Patrick Murphy to task for accepting advanced royalties on his upcoming autobiography. He quotes the rules: “No member of Congress can receive royalties while a member of Congress.” No matter that Staedtler himself (along with the House Ethics Committee and the good government lobbying firm Common Cause) absolves Murphy of any wrongdoing when he states Murphy accepted the advance “a few days before he was sworn in as a congressman.” Murphy is being criticized for “NOT” breaking the rules.

Elsewhere in his opinion, Staedtler takes Murphy to task for “writing his autobiography on our time.” Hmmm. I guess Murphy will next want to go to the bathroom “on our time,” or, heaven forbid, get a drink of water “on our time.” Are those in Congress “on our time” 24 hours a day, seven days a week? Do they campaign “on our time”? I wonder if George Bush takes all those vacations “on our time.”

Staedtler continues: “Murphy was the sole sponsor of more than $11.8 million in earmarks (per USA Today), the fourth most of any freshman in Congress.” Staedtler may have gotten this from the Dec. 11, 2007, USA Today. What Staedtler omitted from the article were the words “for local projects and businesses.” Maybe Staedtler or others might offer suggestions on what “local projects and businesses” they begrudge?

Also omitted was this: “Murphy pointed to new rules requiring earmark sponsors to be disclosed for the first time. The House also requires members to disclose each earmark recipient. Murphy said he makes "no apologies for fighting hard for my district.' ” This transparency on earmarks, which Murphy voted for, is a product of the Democratic Congress.

Anyone concerned with earmarks should go to the conservative Heritage Foundation/Citizens Against Government Waste Web site. Here they will find that the number of earmarks under the Republican Congress grew from 1,318 in 1994, to 13,997 in 2005. The last five of these pork-laden budgets were signed by Bush.

For 2008 the total is 11,610 earmarks. The three leading porkers in the Senate are Republicans; No. 1, Thad Cochran; No. 2, Ted Stevens; and No. 3, Richard Shelby. For Pennsylvania, Republican Arlen Specter was No. 31 and Democrat Bob Casey was No. 38. The two leading House members are also Republicans; No. 1, Roger Wicker (now an appointed senator) and No. 2, Bill Young. Patrick Murphy is No. 138 on the list.

It's an election year. Republicans are crying crocodile tears over earmarks while feeding at the government trough by the boatload.

John Wible
Bensalem, PA

Indeed (to help Patrick, click here).

Update 5/20/08: More good stuff...