Free Republic

STATE MPS are pocketing more than $9000 for a single meeting as they double-dip into the public purse. All but seven of the 70 Labor MPs have been handed lucrative second government posts on top of their already handsome pay packets. Among them are Coogee MP Paul Pearce who was last year paid an extra $18,276 on top of his $130,000 base salary for chairing just two meetings of the standing committee on parliamentary privilege and ethics. That works out to more than $9000 in salary and expenses for each meeting.

DEAN UNDER FIRE FROM PARTY DEMS; NEARLY ALL CASH SPENT Mon Jan 30 2006 10:52:31 ET Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill are privately bristling over Howard Dean’s management of the Democratic National Committee and have made those sentiments clear after new fundraising numbers showed he has spent nearly all the committee’s cash and has little left to support their efforts to gain seats this cycle, ROLL CALL reports. Congressional leaders were furious last week when they learned the DNC has just $5.5 million in the bank, compared to the Republican National Committee’s $34 million. Senate and House Minority Leaders Harry...