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Bean countersBy Seymour Klierly Early March in Washington D.C. is reserved for the annual budget battle between Democrats and Republicans. Traditional ideological differences come out in full force during this time of year. Highlighting this year's debate is a proposal to ban earmarks. This proposal has banded together some very strange bedfellows. The term "earmark" has taken on a life of its own. It wasn't long ago that most folks didn't pay attention to specific projects listed in legislation. That all changed less than three years ago when a bridge in Alaska labeled "the bridge to nowhere" made the front page of newspapers across the country. Many members jumped on the anti-earmark bandwagon after that discovery, but later went on to include projects in subsequent appropriations bills. However, a few members of the Republican Party have consistently stood against earmarks; Rep. Jeff Flake and Senator Tom Coburn lead the pack in their respective houses. Now the earmarking debate is making its way to the budget process. In the House, the Republican budget alternative includes the one year ban. On the other side of the Hill, Senator Jim DeMint will offer an amendment to the Democrat's budget for the project funding hiatus. Here's where it gets interesting. In what can only be explained as pandering to a certain segment of the electorate, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are bucking their party's leadership and have said they would cosponsor the Republican's earmark ban amendment. Why the new take on earmarks? Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain has also stated that he will cosponsor the amendment but that is no surprise. McCain has opposed earmarks for years and also stated that if elected president would veto any legislation that contained earmarks. So his position isn't as perplexing as that of Obama and Clinton. If they are so opposed to earmarks, why haven't they been leading the fight against them during their terms in the Senate? Maybe there is a good explanation and I've just missed it. Wouldn't be the first time. When all is said and done, I doubt the earmark ban will pass during the budget fight. Keep in mind that the congressional budget is not a binding document. The fighting that goes on over the budget bill is more pomp and circumstance than substance. We'll see throughout the year if either the House or Senate sticks to their budget goals, and if Clinton and Obama stick to their new found disdain for earmarks. 3/17/08 Date: 3/12/08
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