Despite reforms, Congress hides $3.5B in defense earmarks

An in-depth Seattle Times examination of the $459 billion 2008 defense bill found $8.5 billion in earmarks. Of those, 40 percent, or $3.5 billion, were hidden. No matter who wins, the next president promises to take back Washington from powerful interests and lobbyists. It is the same stirring promise Congress made last year when — rocked by scandal and under new leadership — lawmakers passed what they trumpeted as some of the most significant ethics reforms in years. Key among those reforms: rules requiring lawmakers, for the first time, to disclose their earmarks — federal dollars they were quietly doling out as favors. But time after time, Congress exploited loopholes or violated those rules, a Seattle Times investigation has found. An in-depth examination of the 2008 defense bill found $8.5 billion in earmarks. Of those,... [read full story]