[inquest]

Earmarks or not, discretionary spending is just about where it has been since the '60s (as a percentage of GDP).

But given that mandatory spending has rocketed sky-high with Bush's Medicare boondoggle, that makes it all the more imperative to get discretionary spending under control, especially since the debt isn't getting any smaller over time.

This of course is all aside from the fact that pork creates problems far beyond the number of dollars wasted.

[A.Hun]

But given that mandatory spending has rocketed sky-high with Bush's Medicare boondoggle, that makes it all the more imperative to get discretionary spending under control, especially since the debt isn't getting any smaller over time.

Table 10 shows mandatory spending total at 10.7 percent, a high yes, but nearly matched in '81 and at 10.4 in 92. Skyrocketed it hasn't.

Mandatory spending will have to be cut...Bush tried to reform SS..but this was was about discretionary spending.

As far as the pork, it all goes back into the economy one way or another. The power is in directing where it goes, and I would rather have the Republicans doing it than the Dems. I, probably like you, would like to see overall spending cut....