The Hill's Alexander Bolton: Bush called out for earmarks.

A House Appropriations Committee report accompanying legislation funding the Department of the Interior shows that Bush requested 93 of the 321 earmarks in the bill. A panel report for the financial services and general government spending bill showed that Bush requested 17 special projects worth $947 million, more than any single member of Congress.

Senate appropriators have identified more than 350 earmarks in the military construction spending bill requested by the president.

[Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said yesterday that Bush has requested the overwhelming majority of earmarks — over 800 — in the energy and water appropriations bill.] ...

Lawmakers say these lists of earmarks are inconsistent with Bush’s tough talk on earmarks this year. [...]

“It would appear the administration likes earmarks from their perspective,” said Rep. Robert Aderholt (Ala.), a Republican member of the House Appropriations Committee.

“Inconsistent would be a fair way to say it,” Aderholt said when asked if Bush was being hypocritical for simultaneously requesting and criticizing earmarks.

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), the chairman of the Senate Appropriations interior subcommittee, shares Aderholt’s view.

“Hypocrisy? No, but one might call that duplicity,” said Craig.

And check out this quote from a White House spokesman: "Kevelighan said it is unfair to compare earmark requests made by the president with requests made by members of Congress because the projects Bush asks for undergo a rigorous review process that does not apply to congressional requests."

Posted by Laura at June 28, 2007 11:48 AM