Sen. Thad Cochran R (MS) King of Earmarks

[LuvNewcastle]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/28/AR2009092803862.html?wpisrc=newsletter

Sen. Thad Cochran's most recent reelection campaign collected more than $10,000 from University of Southern Mississippi professors and staff members, including three who work at the school's center for research on polymers. To a defense spending bill slated to be on the Senate floor Tuesday, the Mississippi Republican has added $10.8 million in military grants earmarked for the school's polymer research.
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Cochran, the ranking Republican on the Appropriations subcommittee on defense, also added $12 million in earmarked spending for Raytheon Corp., whose officials have contributed $10,000 to his campaign since 2007. He earmarked nearly $6 million in military funding for Circadence Corp., whose officers -- including a former Cochran campaign aide -- contributed $10,000 in the same period.

In total, the spending bill for 2010 includes $132 million for Cochran's campaign donors, helping to make him the sponsor of more earmarked military spending than any other senator this year, according to an analysis by the nonprofit group Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Cochran says his proposals are based only on "national security interests," not campaign cash. But in providing money for projects that the Defense Department says it did not request and does not want, he has joined a host of other senators on both sides of the aisle. The proposed $636 billion Senate bill includes $2.65 billion in earmarks.

[Orsino]

1. Can't be. McCain promised to name the names himself.

Just like he said he knew how to win the war.

[LuvNewcastle]

2. I wish McCain would name names.

Cochran's been doing this quietly for years and no one calls him on it. For a Republican, Cochran isn't a bad senator, but if you're going to be in the party of fiscal responsibility (haha), then maybe you should take your head out of the trough once in a while. If McCain were to speak up, I suspect there would be hell to pay. I don't think he's got the balls.