This item is on the Senate Republican Leadership blog this morning. Of course, it ought to be pointed out again and again that when they were in the majority for a dozen years, the Republicans in Congress sent the annual number of earmarks skyrocketing.
REP. DAVID OBEY (D-WI): “I’m not in the business of trying to pave the way for $70 billion or $90 billion for Iraq for $10 billion in table scraps.” (Democrats Are Rethinking Year-End Budget Strategy, The Wall Street Journal, 12/11/07)
DEMOCRAT “TABLE SCRAPS” IN OTHER TERMS:
$10 Billion Could Buy A Six Pound Chicken, Three Pounds Of Fresh Potatoes, Two Pounds Of Fresh Green Beans And A Pot To Cook Them In For Every Household In America
$10 Billion Could Pay The Salary Of 481,918 Enlisted Soldiers. (Numbers Based On An E-3 Level Basic Pay,Office of the Secretary of Defense, www.defenselink.mil, accessed, 12/11/07)
$10 Billion Could Pay One Year’s Tuition At Harvard For 229,068 High School Graduates. (Based On The 2006-2007 Undergraduate Tuition Rates, Harvard.edu, accessed 12/11/07)
$10 Billion Could Pay The New York Yankees Annual Payroll 51 Times. (2007 Yankee Payroll $195,229,045, ESPN.com, accessed 12/11/07)
$10 Billion Could Buy Every Child In America Between The Ages Of 10 And 14 A PlayStation 3 For Christmas.
$10 Billion Could Extend Tax Relief For Parents And Tax Relief For Small Businesses For An Additional Year. (Office Of Management And Budget, “Analytical Perspectives FY 2008,” p.285, 2008)
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