Fer It Afore He Was Agin It
Posted on | September 27, 2008
Sen. John McCain’s campaign image relies almost exclusively on his alleged hatred for state earmarks in federal spending. His most famous example, used in last night’s debate, is that of a study of grizzly bear DNA. Today’s punchline, of course, is that he actually voted in favor of that very expenditure:
Senator John McCain has frequently cited an earmark to a bill proving funds for a study of grizzly bears in Montana as an example of the worst pork-and-barrel spending in Washington. The study was included in an ad for McCain entitled “Outrageous” during the primaries. However, according to FactCheck.org, Senator McCain voted for the earmark he now derides.
Senator McCain introduced three amendments to the bill to “reduce funding for projects he considered wasteful or harmful, but none removing the grizzly bear project appropriations” writes FactCheck.org. McCain voted for the final bill, grizzly study and all.
In addition, McCain has mischaracterized the bill. He describes the bill as a “bear paternity test” with “$3 million to study the DNA of bears in Montana”. However, the study actually had nothing to do with grizzly bear paternity. Again, according to FactCheck.org, the study was working to survey the grizzly bear population in Montana by collecting samples of hair on barbed wire. Grizzly bears in Montana are protected under the Endangered Species Act and population counts are vital to any species listed under the act.
John McCain is a liar. Federal earmarks account for about one percent of the national budget, but they comprise ninety-nine percent of his campaign stance–a stance revealed as rank hypocrisy.
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