Jon Kyl Reaps $200 MILLION In Pork Just Days After Senate Republicans Voted To Ban Earmarks

thye forot to mention, this was only with regard to earmarks that Democrats want.

the funny thing. This will be added to the "out of control spending" by Obama administration. pile.

Color me unsurprised.

what did you expect? neocons love their pork! Tea Party you got dupped! lol suckers!

From the article:

Kyl's office insists the measure is not an earmark, and the House didn't deem it one when it considered a version earlier this year.

Since when is settling a "Arizona Indian tribe's water rights claim against the government" an earmark?

You people will do ANYTHING to insult a Republican. Just remember that outside of the Huffington, thinkprogress, mediamatters and the KOS, nobody @!$%#ing cares.

Hey, wait a minute guys, I'm sure there's a perfectly good and "common sense" explanation for all of this!

I'm sure he's going to use that $200 Million to buy tri-corner hats and "Don't Tread on Me!" flags, and lots and lots of Tea Bags. This might sound like a huge waste of tax-payer money, but that's only because you don't understand what our Founding Fathers meant when they wrote the Constitution. Our freedoms depend on gatherings of old, uneducated, white people with tri-corner hats and tea bags waving flags they don't seem to understand. That's what America is all about. Nowhere in our Constitution does it say that the "common sense" politicians you voted for have to A) live up to the reasons that you voted for them, or B) have common sense.

Let's not laugh at the Teabaggers for being duped even though everyone told them they were being duped. Let's laugh with them.

Kyl slipped the measure into a larger bill sought by President Barack Obama and passed by the Senate on Friday to settle claims by black farmers and American Indians against the federal government. Kyl's office insists the measure is not an earmark, and the House didn't deem it one when it considered a version earlier this year.

So this evil human being got $200 Million to settle claims AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT by Native Americans over water rights? Is that the evil "earmark" (notice the quotes) that you are talking about? Just wondering, who has control of the senate right now (ahem, Democrats)? Who had control of the House of Representatives (ahem, Democrats again) earlier this year when they "didn't deem it [an earmark] when it considered a version earlier this year."

Nevermind, that is what I thought. Sorry, this is nothing more than a partisan hack story from the Huffington Post - something that everyone should come to expect from them.

Labeling federal expenditures as "earmarks" is an inherently subjective exercise.

If the project will benefit one's own constituency or will bolster the popular appeal of one's own political party, then said funding is definitely NOT an earmark. They are simply promoting the distribution of federal funds to worthy programs that just happen to be associated with their home state or district.

If the funding is for a project in a district that is predominantly populated with the opposition party, or if it will go toward programs that do not support one's own political agenda or ideology, then these expenditures most definitely ARE earmarks and should be summarily eliminated from future legislation.

It should come as no surprise that many Republicans are hesitant to support a complete ban on all earmark funding. Corporate donations got many of the GOP candidates elected, and these same special interestsexpect a return on their investment. Legislative earmarks comprise one of the components of the expected payback.

I even agree with the Republicans this time.

Enough of the petty bs.

We need jobs, stick to that now. Earmarks are jobs.

This is not really an earmark, and so what if it is, the whole argument about earmarks is absurd and pointless. Earmarks are 1% of the budget and cover things that for the most part enrich the lifesof us all - yes, I include the Rock and Roll hall of fame in that, and I even include the Alaska bridge to no-where - because infrastructure creates economies and jobs.

You can't be for the idea of government stimulus and not for earmarks.

I applaud the Senator for settling a lawsuit, finally.

As much as Republicans hate lawyers and justice, and minorities, this is a coup!

There is no reason to give Republicans any credible thing to complain about liberals for.

There are many things to condemn Republicans for, and this is not it.

Hey Tea Party... Do you feel like the GOP is screwing you yet? (a settlement & a snow machine)

THE POINT IS!

Tea Party and Republicans complaining endlessly about earmarks. WE (Dems) already know they have there uses. BUT Tea Party and Republicans complaining endlessly continue to use them.

THAT IS HYPOCRITICAL!

Get it now?

Stop being hypocritical and we will stop calling you out on it. and Stop crying if we do call you out.

"Put on your man pants!"

I am leaving now.

Everyone have a happy Thanksgiving.

They just meant earmarks for Dems are bad, the repubs can have all they want evidently.

Personally, I can't wait for the pork to stop rolling out. Once they get rid of earmarks, welfare and unemployment benefits places like SC, MS, and KY are going to look like refugee camps.....

Told you stupid Republicans that Pork wasn't going anywhere.

I feel bad for you.

Righties LOVE to Be LIED TO. They NEVER, EVER, EVER...LEARN.

REAGAN Tripled the National Debt...Yet He is WORSHIPED as an Example of "Fiscal Responsibility". Remember "STAR WARS"? Bush I added another 50% on TOP of THAT, and BUSH II added $5 TRILLION to the National DEBT!

WHY, OH WHY...would ANYBODY in their RIGHT MIND....want to GO BACK...to THAT??!!!!

OH Yeah, THAT'S Right. Because the Foxy News, Koch Brothers, Dick Armey, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Mainstream NEWS FEAR MACHINE Convinced ENOUGH Frightened, Easily FOOLED Voters into BELIEVING the Sky is FALLING, the Communists Have Taken Over, and the Democrats are Foolish...when in FACT, -THEY HAVE Turned Things AROUND...with ZERO Help from Republicans!

When P.T. Barnum Said..."There's a SUCKER Born Every Minute, he Had a Different World he was Addressing. But He HAD to Be TALKING about the KIND of People Who Rushed to The Polls in November to "Throw the Rascals Out". The Rascals who have Been OUT of Power for 30 Years, and are Just BEGINNING to REBUILD the America that was BROKEN by 30 Years of Republicanism!

Well, it is NEVER Clean and CLEAR, as the Nation Turns from ONE ERA into the NEXT. Even though the Republican Revolution, which Really Began in 1968, took 12 Years to Really Hit it's Stride, so TOO will the NEW DEMOCRATIC ERA, which Began in 2005, Technically, take a Few Years for the Pattern to Emerge Clearly. We are IN a NEW Progressive Era. And THAT is a FACT.

The Country MUST MOVE on from the Last and Final Heyday of Big Oil, Nation Building, Commie Fighting, De-Regulating Everything, Letting the Chinese and Indians PASS US BY - ERA that we Have Begun to Leave Behind.

Obama SAYS he Wants to see us: Through to the OTHER SIDE...With us COMPETING With China, India, Brazil, and Europe for the LEAD in The Technologies of the Future. And BUILDING those Industries RIGHT HERE in the USA....and I FOR ONE...Believe Him. Because His Rhetoric is Matched by the FACTS: MUCH of the Stimulus Spending, and the Targeted Tax Breaks, and Incentives for Business to Expand in the US, were AIMED at assisting in the Start-Up and Expansion of those VERY Industries. Lithium Ion Battery Production, is Already on a MUCH More Competitive Footing, than it was 2 years Ago. Bush Really Didn't GIVE a DAMN about alternative Energy and Fuel. He EXISTED to DO ONE Thing...Maximize the Profits of the OIL INDUSTRY One MORE Time, Before the Awful Period of MOVING ON Begins in...Earnest.

Right Here in MY AREA: Austin, Texas...it was JUST Announced Today That a Major Solar Panel Innovator and Developer/Producer will Headquarter Soon in the Austin Area. And in the Report, it was CLEAR that BOTH the Stimulus Assistance for Start Ups, and the Tax Changes(Reductions) that OBAMA has Engineered for New Expansion, were Instrumental in The Expansion and New Hiring going on with This Company!

Big Oil MUST Move to Diversify, and Become Active PLAYERS in the Alternative Energy Campaign, and THEN we Will Have an Explosive Period of Growth in The Most Revolutionary Technologies Happening on the Planet.

We Can't AFFORD to NOT Catch UP to the Chinese, Indians and Europeans in this AREA. It IS OUR DESTINY: IF We are to REMAIN who we Have BEEN Since WW II. The Leader in Innovation and R&D and Development of NEW Technologies in the World!

Or, you can LISTEN to Clowns Like Imhofe and Joe Barton, who have been the PROPERTY of BIG OIL for Many, Many YEARS, and ALWAYS Will BE - Tell You that Global Warming is a Fraud/Myth/Hoax,... WHATEVER!

It's GUTT CHEKK Time, America: It's Time to ASK Yourself this Simple Question: Do You REALLY BELIEVE...All That BULL&#*t You've Been Parroting from Foxy News and The Millionaire Club, or Were you Just KIDDING?

Put Your Money Where Your MOUTH is! If You REALLY Believe All that Crap, Then BUY GOLD and Hold on TIGHT!

If You Are able to MAN-UP, and admit it was Just a Bunch of Political CRAP, and Somewhere inside You KNOW the Economy Has TURNED the Corner, and BIG GROWTH is Dead Ahead...Somehow I'll Bet you are Going to Sneak a CALL to Your Broker SOON. While Things are STILL Relatively CHEAP.

So, WHAT'S it Going to Be? FEAR and Confusion? Or Faith in America, and Reaping the Rewards of Believing in Our Future?

It's STILL Early in the Expansion...Lots of Time to make Money. But SOON, the Horse will Be OUT of the Gate!

This should come as no surprise since M. Bachmann said they would have to "re-define" what an earmark really is. If a Dem does it, it's "pork inserted in the dead of night"and is bad for our "children and grandchildren". GOP does it, it is legit, called something else or it will create jobs. How many jobs were created from 2001 to 2009 vs. jobs lost? Tax cuts and pork create jobs. Where are they? Will one GOP supporter tell me why we should try your way again? Record profits for Corporations and massive unemployment for your average citizen. Why?

Sounds like Larry, Moe and Curley. whoop, whoop whoop, whoop, whoop...it's an ear mark, no it isn't an earmark, slap, slap, pook em in both eyes...yes it is, no it isn't....

Do you see the American people crying...laughing?

Sen. Kyl would have put his time to better use by getting out of the way of the ratification of the START treaty. As it stands, he is the sole reason we now face a situation of no nuclear treaty with Russia which has been in the works for 7 months.

In spite of the urging by former Sec. of State of both parties, Sen. Kyl is blocking the ratification of an important treaty because he says he needs more time to digest it. If 7 months is not enough time, I would suggest he get someone to read it to him.

This is another example of GOP hypocricy...

After searching the web and reading stories on this subject on CNN and MSNBC (because I wanted to find the most unbiased takes on this story that I could), I think the left has gone a bit overboard on this story. Considering that it is a settlement of a federal lawsuit against the US government, I don't really think it is an earmark. The only ones charging that this is an earmark appear to be those trying to score political points.

The left should have kept quiet on this particular story, because I'm sure there will be some blatant earmarks surface in the future, and accusing this muddled situation of being an earmark now will weaken the power of making the charge in the future.

It's kind of like crying racist or bigot at every perceived slight. The words have been thrown around so much and so loosely that they've largely lost their power.

Yep this is an earmark. This just proves that Republicans are against everything unless THEY want it for themselves.

Reconciliation votes are the same in that regard. Republicans called them tyranny when the Democrats used it, but now that they're elected they've already said they'll use reconciliation to pass their agenda.

Brent, good response. The huff post is a piece of drivel, right up there with algores b.s., but the liberal whiners lap it up. Thanks.

I prefer half-assed liberal rants as opposed to full-on dumbass dirt clod dumb Republican talking points--these rightwingnut fools have not had an original thought since Ronald Goddam Reagan was elected to his first term as first actor.