Earmarks: A Weak Issue?

The Royal Savage ^ | 9/9/2008 | Holden Des Montsverts

[Yankee Sailor]

There's an interesting detail in September 4th's ABC News poll that speaks directly to the effectiveness of the current skirmish over earmarks. Here’s the question:

For each item I name, please tell me if it makes you think more favorably toward Palin, less favorably, or if it doesn't change your opinion of her one way or another...As mayor she obtained 27 million dollars in federal funding for projects in her town of about 7,000 people

The responses are more than a little surprising. 32% of respondents thought it made her more favorable, 19% thought it made her less favorable, and 49% had no opinion or didn't know. No wonder the size of the federal budget has ballooned; 81% didn’t care or thought it was a good thing. Perhaps it's just that voters are reserving judgment until they know something about what the money was for. The general case against earmarks does appear to be weak, though.

[John Valentine]

The issue of earmarks has to do with those GRANTING them, not with those requesting them.

Thus, it is an issue that does not hurt Palin even if she requested or took advantage of moeny coming from the Federal government to her city or state.

Given that Federal money was being doled out in this way, it would have been delinquent of her not to look out for the interest of her consituents.

[Chet 99]

Hey.. can you ping me when a pollster asks voters for their reaction to Obama’s embrace of terrorist Bill Ayers?

[Crickets Chirping]

[xzins]

What is the difference between an earmark and a municipal request for Federal assistance?

My gut says that an earmark is initiated at the higher level while the municipal request is initiated at the lower level. One throws a bunch of money at a state/municipality and the other is a staffed and thought-out need proposed by a municipality according to some previously existing federal funding program/grant.

[rfp1234]