Yet, Yesterday...

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House Approves $410 Billion Spending Bill
Washington - The Democratic-controlled House approved $410 billion legislation Wednesday that boosted domestic programs, bristled with earmarks and chipped away at policies left behind by the Bush administration. The vote was 245-178, largely along party lines. Republicans assailed the measure as too costly -- particularly on the heels of a $787 billion stimulus bill...
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The Truth-O-Meter Re:

The omnibus spending bill has "9,427 pork barrel items."
John McCain on Wednesday, February 25th, 2009 in an interview on CNN's American Morning.


True: Omnibus bill packed with earmarks and pork



Despite all the talk during the campaign about cutting earmarks, Congress is still packing them into appropriations bills.

Taxpayers for Common Sense, a Washington group that tracks federal spending, has a slightly lower number -- 8,570 (down from 8,811 last year). That number includes anything defined by Congress as an earmark that doesn't mention the president as the person making the request. If you also include items requested by the president's budget that have been jointly requested by a member of Congress, the number comes to 9,287, according to TCS.

A McClatchy News Service story put the total earmarks at 9,000, attributing it to "congressional officials."

So McCain's number is in the same range as other counts and given slightly different definitions, it's possible to get different tallies. We find his claim to be True.

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Two Obama Cabinet Members Added Earmarks to Omnibus Spending Bill
Two of President Obama's Cabinet members authored a variety of earmarks in the $410 billion omnibus spending bill the House is poised to pass Wednesday to keep the government running through Oct. 1. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis
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[That's 1.2 TRILLION, not including interest - it's all borrowed money, in two weeks. And the promise against earmarks? They'll start that in the next spending bill - only 5 months away. Between now and then? 'Universal' health care; >600 Billion now, with at least as much later... all with no serious debate of alternatives - just ram 'em through; 'crisis-emergency-hurry' - we can read the bills later...

And the 'explanation' for how all these earmarks are still sailing through? Well, this bill is "unfinished business" from the previous administration. That's right, it's Bush's fault - even though he's out of office, and it will be Obama's hand that signs it into law when it reaches his desk.

To which our 'professional' media says ... ... .. ... . ...{sigh}]