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chattyNow Playing: LIBTARD ''ETHICALLY PURE'' ALERT
Topic: Lib Loser Stories
Two Stories In One: Demented-crats Protect Union Impropriaties /
John Murtha's $1 Million Earmark to His Campaign Contributor
Union Oversight
While every enforcement agency in the Labor Department is due for a large budget increase -- House Democrats have cut $2 million from the small office of Labor-Management Standards -- which tries to ensure union dues are properly spent.
The Wall Street Journal Online reports the agency has helped secure 775 convictions of corrupt union officials since 2001 -- and the restitution of $70 million.
But Labor convinced Democrats to reject the president's request for a budget increase for the agency -- and instituted the cut instead. And despite a Republican effort to stop the cuts -- they were retained -- with the help of 16 GOP defectors.
Whose Money?
Battles over congressional earmarks are heating up. Alaska Republican Don Young -- known as a prolific earmarker -- came a little unglued recently when his request for education funds was questioned. He referred to the funds as "my money" and warned Republicans who were challenging him -- "those who bit me will be bitten back."
One of the people going against Young was North Carolina’s Virginia Foxx -- who said members are -- "stewards of the money that we legally steal from the people of this country."
Meanwhile Indiana Democrat Peter Visclosky allowed colleague John Murtha to slip a $1 million request into one of his bills -- for something called the Center for Instrumented Critical Infrastructure. When asked if this organization really exists -- visclosky said -- "at this time I do not know."
Despite that -- the House rejected a move to cut the money. The Politico reports a certificate filed with the funds says they are actually destined for a consulting firm called Concurrent Technologies Corporation -- run by a Murtha campaign contributor.
UPDATE: Mystery Earmark
A follow-up on Thursday's item about that so-called "mystery" earmark request from John Murtha: the Pennsylvania Democrat was awarded $1 million for the Center for Instrumented Critical Infrastructure -- which it turns out does not exist -- but is a planned part of a non-profit technology center that has received millions in Murtha earmarks over the years.
Now The Hill reports the Energy Department is denying Murtha's claim that it supports the request. A DOE spokeswoman says the earmark is not a program that meets its "mission critical" threshold and that it is "inconsistent" with its 2008 budget.
Nevertheless, the House overwhelmingly defeated a move to deny the earmark.
Fox News Channel's Martin Hill contributed to this report.
Fox News.com ~ Political Grapevine - Brit Hume ** Union Oversight / Whose Money?
Update:
Fox News.com ~ Political Grapevine - Bret Baier ** John Murtha's 'Mystery' Earmark Request
Related: The Politico ~ Patrick O'Connor ** Earmarks Gone Wild: $1 Mil for Mystery Project
Charlie Rangel wants a $2 million earmark for the "Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service"... Earmark Overload: The Earmark Congressman Rangel Wants to Include in Next Year’s Federal Spending
Not to mention, Hillary Clintax wants a $1 million earmark for a '69 Woodstock Music Festival Museum.
