Liars lie, Thieves thieve

[armedandsafe]

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http://www.military.com/news/article...=1186032325324

October 14, 2008
Seattle Times|by David Heath and Christine Willmsen

No matter who wins, the next president promises to take back Washington from powerful interests and lobbyists.

It is the same stirring promise Congress made last year when -- rocked by scandal and under new leadership -- lawmakers passed what they trumpeted as some of the most significant ethics reforms in years.

Key among those reforms: rules requiring lawmakers, for the first time, to disclose their earmarks -- federal dollars they were quietly doling out as favors.

But time after time, Congress exploited loopholes or violated those rules, a Seattle Times investigation has found. An in-depth examination of the 2008 defense bill found $8.5 billion in earmarks. Of those, 40 percent -- $3.5 billion -- were hidden.

And Congress broke its pledge -- and President Bush's challenge -- to cut earmarks in half. Lawmakers cut the dollar amount of defense earmarks by about a fourth and the number by 19 percent.

The hidden earmarks range from $8 million for lighting sold by a financially troubled company in North Carolina to $588 million for a submarine the administration doesn't want.

After months of investigating the $459 billion 2008 defense bill, The Times found:

--The hidden $3.5 billion included 155 earmarks, among them the most costly in the bill. Congress disclosed 2,043 earmarks worth $5 billion.

--The House broke the new rules at least 110 times by failing to disclose who was getting earmarks, making it difficult for the public to judge whether the money is being spent wisely.

--In at least 175 cases, senators did not list themselves in Senate records as earmark sponsors, appearing more fiscally responsible. But they told a different story to constituents back home in news releases, claiming credit for the earmarks and any new jobs.

Lawmakers do not face penalties for failing to follow these ethics rules.

"The whole ethics bill was a sham," said Sen. Jim DeMint, a Republican from South Carolina, after being told of The Times' findings.

Who is surprised?

Pops

[45nut]

Moi, surprised

Those Bozos haven't surprised me in years.

[Haligan]

I'm shocked !