Dartblog

The states of Alaska, Hawaii, the Dakotas, and West Virginia, or rather their gluttonous representatives, top the list of pork- offenders. Fellow Free Staters should be proud to note that New Hampshire dropped 17 spots from last year! A bipartisan kudos to Sens. Judd Gregg (R) and John Sununu (R) and Reps. Paul Hodes (D) and Carol Shea-Porter (D). CNN lays out this year’s pork, which includes the Montana Sheep Museum and the Lobster Institute. Among the findings of the full pork report by Citizens Against Government Waste is the following breakdown:

Democrats: 5,199 earmarks for $5.5 billion
Republicans: 3,408 earmarks for $4.4 billion
(in addition to 2,518 bipartisan earmarks for $3.8 billion)

Barack Obama: 53 earmarks for $97 million
Hillary Clinton: 281 earmarks for $296 million
John McCain: 0 earmarks for $0

And a big congratulations to Charlie Rangel (D-NY) for winning the “Narcissist Award” (a.k.a biggest self-call) for a pork earmark for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service.

The full report can be viewed here, including a full list of comically unflattering awards.

JAKE ADDS: Charlie Rangel is my congressman. I’m not surprised by the award. He’s quite the power broker in the local politics of Upper Manhattan.