Congress passes $410 billion pork-laden budget, which Obama will hold his nose and sign

President Obama insisted that he was supporting this bill to fund government operations for the current fiscal year, which began last October, only because it was the most expedient way to close the final chapter on the Bush administration.

Nevertheless, even members of his own party ended up ascribing to his administration all of the pet projects and spending increases that turned it into a political piñata or feeding trough depending on one’s sense of fiscal responsibility.  No doubt this is because one of the hallmarks of Obama’s campaign was that he would force Congress to curb its pork-barrel ways:

But it might be helpful to know that this bill contains 8,570 pork-barrel earmarks totaling $7.7 billion. This means that born-again, fiscally conservative Republicans are waxing indignant over less than 2% of the $410 billion budget.  Never mind that 40 percent of those earmarks were requested by the indignant hypocrites now condemning them as a mortal sin.           

It’s no wonder Obama has no regard for their protestations and will therefore hold his nose and sign it today. Frankly, I say let’s give him a pass and judge Obama on a budget of his own making for the next fiscal year. 

Besides, what’s wrong with an earmark of $209,000 to improve blueberry production and efficiency in Georgia or with one of $1.7 million for pig odor research in Iowa if the congressman requesting it can show that it serves a legitimate public purpose?

After all, during the Bush years the bloated Pentagon budget routinely included earmarks for such national security items as airlifting the pet of an Air Force general from Europe to Colorado at a cost of $120,000.