Clinton Requests $2.3 Billion In Earmarks

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has requested nearly $2.3 billion in federal earmarks for 2009, almost three times the largest amount received by a single senator this year.

The Democratic presidential candidate's staggering request comes at a time when Congress remains engaged in a heated debate over spending federal dollars on parochial projects.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[truthsforsaken]

Regardless of what the actual amount is ($22 million or. $2.2 billion), you don't think John McCain is going to hop all over the fact that these earmarks are attributed to her?

He is a self-proclaimed anti-pork candidate and I can imagine him having a field day with this, more-so than the Wright issues. Its tough to talk about race and not piss people off. Its easy to talk about "wasteful spending."

Who is more electable now, in the general election?

[Elbar]

Right on Flyboy. These obama maniacs are so narrow minded. It is they who are ruining the Democratic Party. I saw tht lunatic, Lawrence O'Donnell try to blame Hillary for Rev. Wright's speech. This is the kind of crap that is ruining the Party. The Obama babies have to stop!

[flyguy14222]

WRONG AGAIN! Sorry HuffPo, but why do you insist on making yourself look like journalistic buffoons? Sen. Clinton requested 22m in "earmarks" for 3 projects in NY. The remainder was requested for national programs, mostly in the areas of health care and public safety.

[redraymonds]

hillarys campaign is broke, dats why she will never get my vote
obama 08

[newshawk14]

This just continues to justify my feeling, that any thing Hillary does, is in her interest and not the
national interest. I think she is a panderer par excellence and I hope to God she does not become
the democratic nominee. I like Obama, but would also have been pleased with either Biden or
Dodd, or possibly Richardson. If you really desire a female candidate keep an eye on WA state's
governor, Christine Gregoire, she strikes me as presidential timber. She's not to warm and fuzzy,
but is damned competent, and has been pretty effective in working across the aisles.

[speciallady2003]

And how much are the recipients of her earmarks contributing to her campaign?

[IngeniousGirl]

Hillary is arming New York to be its own Nation State, just check out where all the money is going, she will probably hire Blackwater/Greystone, make it a haven for all the Neocoms rolling out of the White House and for all the contractors who may loose out to rip off contracts in Iraq, they will get the benefit of her largesse.

Hillary, President of New York.

[NCMan]

Today, The Hill reported that Hillary requested $2.3 billion in earmarks. This is false.

Earmarks are generally defined as specific programs and grants, usually for one's home state. Hillary requested just $22 million in earmarks for three critical projects in New York State.

The rest of her requests are to increase funding for national programs, most involving health and public safety. These are not earmarks, just as someone who requests an increase in Medicaid funding is not requesting an earmark.

[IngeniousGirl]

Hillary said we should "have a moratorium on earmarks" so she has gone crazy. She is restructuring New York to be the haven for illegal schemes and is taking a page right out of the white house, of course she's not going to be put flesh and bones on these earmarks, she is going for the big grab and who knows she might put up a fence around New York as well.

I see no reference to National programs, my read shows New York beneficiaries.

[NCMan]

Hillary's earmarks for NY State
http://clinton.senate.gov/newyork/requests.cfm

The National Program requests which are not earmarks for NY State
http://clinton.senate.gov/newyork/requests_USA.cfm

[poles]

This is not a surprise. She is the Special Interest Queen. Wake up people see her for what she really is. If she gets elected will America be better off or will Hillary be better off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq7CAIsSd44

[globality]

Have her deny and denounce these earmarks. Why doesn't Obama challenge her to do just that.

[Canaris]

that's the problem I have with Hillary. If she's elected, I do think she will try to get us out of Iraq, but it will still be business as usual. The special interests she is beholden to might be different from the ones that John McCain is beholden to, but the whole system of governing to special interests won't change a bit.

With Hllary, I know that it will be politics as usual. The corporations and moneyed interests that are catered to and legislated for might change, but the middle and lower classes will keep right on getting screwed.

With Obama, I think that he might just give changing the way things work in Washington his best shot. With HIllary, on the other hand, I'm absolutely convinced that she won't try to change a thing.

[nativeeyes]

You fell off the Whitewatergate, travelgates,vince fostergate,troopergate,rose law firmgate,taxgate,arafat moneygate,plo funds gate, monicagate, healthcare lie-gate to get elected but never did squat after that, white house experience gate, but made tea and held dinners with no security clearancegate, Bosniagate, pregnant no insurancegate, take name off Michigan ballotgate...

Hillary and Bush are separated at Birthgate..
LIES ,LIES LIES LIES TO GET ELECTED AND DUPED THE AMERICAN PEOPLE..

WHY DO THESE HILLARY SUPPORTERS SUPPORT THIS VILE WOMAN'S LYING DECIEVING WAYS!!!
I GUEST STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES...

[IngeniousGirl]

Because they are immune to truth.

[PhoenixtheUndying]

2.3 billion but she's the populist. That's some old bull.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

Yikes! I would like to know where the money is going.

[pagopago]

so would I, maybe one billion will go to Rev James Manning in Harlem for his support and slandering of Obama and his parents on behalf of the Clintons as a thank you. The balance of that?

[IngeniousGirl]

Her pocket book, or FOH bank accounts.

[Roshi98]

The article makes vague references to "pet projects", yet fails to demonstrate a single instance of such programs being requested by Senator Clinton. The suggestion by the Obama campaign that spending on interoperable communications between first responders, expanded rural health care programs, and security programs is "wasteful" is ridiculous.

Somehow, all earmarks have been pigeonholed as "wasteful pork", yet they have been utilized for well over 150 years to enact very important, useful local projects. FDR's New Deal could not have succeeded without earmarks. Earmarks are what representatives from each state use to ensure that grant money is spent in-state where it NEEDS to be spent. This is not to say there aren't abuses, and that there are some Senators who feel themselves so above scrutiny that they needn't be accountable, but Senator Clinton has ALWAYS fully reported where the money is to be directed and provided ample explanation for the requests.

What knee-jerk naysayers claim, in effect, is that the federal government has a better understanding of how to disburse budgeted monies to local communities than the elected officials of those communities. It's not a perfect system, but, by and large, more good comes from the system than does waste.

[IngeniousGirl]

The criticism comes from other sources, not Obama, read the source material. The amount of $2.3 billion is like ok, let's heap rewards through Hillary on New York, and make sure all her wealthy friends partake as beneficiaries. This money won't ever ever serve the middle class or the poor its just more money for "projects" by private corporations who will reap all the profits. Get real.

[PrdAmerican]

Perhaps if Clinton was willing to "release" her earmarks then we would have a better understanding of her spending haibts, but unlike Obama she has not done so as of yet.