Queen of the Earmark

In her two -- count 'em! -- widely watched appearances before American voters, Sarah Palin may have painted herself as a fierce opponent of congressional earmarks, but the real story is finally making its way into the national media.
While Palin may have said this in her VP nomination acceptance speech...

I ... championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.

I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere.

If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves.

...the truth is proving a bit more problematic.

The truth is out. Sarah Palin may have posed as an opponent of congressionally mandated earmarks, but when the slop was in the bucket, she was one of the first at Senator Ted Stevens’ (R-AK) trough.

The Seattle Times reported yesterday that she submitted 31 earmark requests totaling $197 million in the current (FY2009) budget cycle. According to that paper, it was “more, per person, than any other state.”