McCain Voted For Earmark He Rails Against In Ad

FactCheck.Org reports that John McCain's "Outrageous" ad:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain cites three absurd-sounding examples of pork-barrel spending in a recent ad: a "bridge to nowhere," a study of the DNA of bears and a Woodstock museum.

McCain is known for fighting against earmarks, the other term lawmakers use for funding of pet projects back home. But he appears to have chosen these three because they're easy to mock, not because he had significant involvement in removing them from the budget.

* He never specifically went after the "bridge to nowhere," and he was absent for key votes on its funding.
* While he tried to cut money for several other projects in the same bill, he never proposed cutting the bear study and voted for the final bill containing it.
* He wasn't present for the most important votes on the Woodstock museum, including one on an amendment he co-sponsored to kill the earmark and divert some of the funds.

...

The ad goes on to criticize an earmark that provided "$3 million to study the DNA of bears in Montana." This is not the first time McCain has poked fun at the bear project. He first mentioned it on the Senate floor, while discussing the 2003 Omnibus Appropriations Bill that included funding for the project:

McCain (Senate floor, Feb. 13, 2003): Because these appropriations are never discussed with nonmembers of the Appropriations Committee, one can only imagine and conjure up an idea as to how this might be used. Approach a bear: That bear cub over there claims you are his father, and we need to take your DNA. Approach another bear: Two hikers had their food stolen by a bear, and we think it is you. We have to get the DNA. The DNA doesn't fit, you got to acquit, if I might.

Good laugh lines, maybe, but the United States Geological Service's Northern Divide Grizzly Bear Project didn't study DNA for paternity tests or forensics. Rather, it explored a means of estimating Montana's grizzly bear population by analyzing bear fur snagged on barbed wire. The project was funded partly by federal appropriations - about $1 million per year in add-ons to USGS in 2003 through 2005, $400,000 in 2006 and $300,000 in 2007, plus a $1.1 million earmark through the Forest Service in 2004, according to the study's principal researcher, Katherine C. Kendall. Part of that funding was doled out as part of the omnibus appropriations bill McCain discussed in February 2003.

Despite the fun McCain had ridiculing the bear project on the Senate floor, he didn't actually try to remove it from the bill. He did introduce several amendments, including three to reduce funding for projects he considered wasteful or harmful, but none removing the grizzly bear project appropriations. And despite his criticisms, he voted in favor of the final bill.

Comments

[alaskankid]

It's OK to spend trillions in Iraq, but any money for science should be questioned, according to McCain, who doesn't understand wildlife biology. DNA studies on populations of animals that are under stress (bears in Montana) are important. You must know the genetic relatedness between the different populations of a species, for management decisions. As populations of a species decline, inbreeding becomes one of the biggest threats to the survival of that species. This is money for basic science. The lack of understanding of basic science by the politicians, of both parties, is shameful.

[Cramus]

Did McCain lose it and toss Cindy around. Her casting seems a bit extreme for a simple strain. That kind of get up seems more like a tear or break. Seems fishy to me. Either McCain got pissed and tossed her around or she needs an excuse to justify poping some more pills

[alphax]

When it comes to votes that matter .. this guy can't be seen for dust.

[LynnDee]

Another "I don't remember moment" brought to you by this campaign!

[DaOne]

So Senator, exactly why are you against trying to identify the bear population in the USA?

[MiddleRoadLiberal]

He isn't. He voted for it.

[Grunty1]

Then why did he SAY he was against it if he voted for it?

[DaOne]

It's 3 am , do you know where your grandpa is?

[comacoma]

I believe he may be founded shuffling around the country looking for more lobbyists to hire....

[MiddleRoadLiberal]

Hi there! I'm Average Joe Voter. I would just like to tell you a little about myself. Um, I guess I can start by admitting that I don't really know much about politics. I sometimes watch CNN, but I don't read papers and I definitely don't do any research behind candidates. You know, their positions and what they've voted on or against and stuff. Basically, I know that John McCain is a war hero. He's tried to be president before but Bush won by being mean or something. I know John McCain is nice to Bush because he's a nice guy, but he doesn't agree with Bush much. Obama on the other hand is kinda foreign. Isn't he a muslim? I think he might have been born in Kenya or something, too. Plus, he's kinda arrogant. Like, a lot of people like him, and that's weird, y'know? All I know about the candidates, really, comes from their commercials and what other people tell me. Like, for instance, I know that Obama wants to raise taxes on everybody (especially middle class families making only $42k a year--Yikes!!!). I know McCain is against all pork-barrel spending (lol I can't believe I know what that means lol) and he'll pay for tax breaks for everyone by getting rid of all that stuff.

Anyway, thanks for taking your time to get to know me. I hope this helps you get to know me and others like me (9/10ths of the population!).

[silverball]

....omg....you are frightningly CORRECT...hence why (besides the fl and oh manipulations by gop administrations) we have had the current occupant..­..uneducat­ed voters....­scary....b­ut true....

[bigforkgirl]

The BS Express. Rep. John Lewis has nailed McCain on the fact that tho McCain named him as one of the three wisest persons he'd consult as President, not once since McCain has been in Washington has he ever called Lewis to "consult". McCain just makes things up to score points with whatever audience he's with.

[debrouillard]

M cCain will vote against himself in the GE if one of this pundits or pollsters could suggest that will make him win the over all election.

[BlackbirdHighway]

What is really sad is that we could pay for the bear study 3000 times over with the money we waste every single month on the war in Iraq. Not only does McCain not see the waste in that, he wants to keep the war going forever, and start a few new ones by bombing Iran and maybe marching troops into Moscow. That worked so well for Napoleon and Hitler.

[Ajegunle]

This man is a dubious, two-faced, fork-tongued, McLiar.

[JBelbute]

John McCain is a disgarace. I worked on his campaign in 2000 and he is a very different man today. He is Bush 3 and does not have an original or independent idea in his head, nor does he have any respect for women---Come on Cindy, show us your banana eating skills

[fignozzle]

the time jon stewart is on and the number of the channel i watch he and olbermann on has changed.
why?

[JackNasty]

Why would a Republican ever ruin a good campaign story with the facts?

Why you might as well question the story about John McCain planting the cherry tree that George Washington cut down.

[ScandalousCandice]

Does he even have fact checkers on his team? Probably not and he probably doesn't care because the media refuses to cover his hypocrisies.

[debrouillard]

They do.But they are counting on the fact that a considerably large proportion of the American nation dont care about facts. They care about sound bites and they just want to be given a reason to hate some body,just any body no matter who it is.