The Cost of Selling Out

When you audaciously hope that members of the other party will cross the aisle and change from opponent to ally, it never hurts to line the way with cash. This is the legal version of pay-for-play on Capital Hill. Nobody follows the cash trail, of course, better than Sen. Robert Byrd (D). But Republicans, especially those who are expected to vote with the Democrats today on the huge spending bill, have shown that they have learned a thing or two from "Big Daddy".

Sen. Specter (RINO) has 134 earmarks at stake, more than anyone else. Sen. Richard Shelby (R) is in for only 64, but they total $114 million, second only to Byrd in dollar amount. Sen. Thad Cochran (R)? 65 for $76 million. The list goes on and on, millions added to millions of your tax dollars.

Check the vote tonight and, if any ayes are followed by an (R), you can bet that that vote cost you a pretty penny. Except, amazingly, for Sen. Olympia Snowe (R). Even with no personal earmarks at stake, she is expected to follow Sen. Harry Reid (D) and the Democrats like a submissive puppy. It is, in an odd way, almost reassuring to see someone sell out without the slightest interest in self. ... But not quite.

UPDATE: The votes are in and 8 Republicans sided with the majority. Between them, they added 407 earmarks worth over $385 million dollars. (Click here to download a spreadsheet with details from Taxpayers for Common Sense.) Even if we include Snowe, who had no earmarks of her own, that still comes out to over $48 million dollars per vote. To quote Big Daddy, "That ain't chicken feed!"

Here's the list:

Alexander (R TN)	10	$5,402,000
Bond (R MO)	54	$85,691,491
Cochran (R MS)	65	$75,908,475
Murkowski (R AK)	71	$74,000,750
Shelby (R AL)	64	$114,484,250
Snowe (R ME)	0	$0
Specter (R PA)	134	$25,320,000
Wicker (R MS)	9	$4,324,000
TOTAL	407	$385,130,966