The Republican Party is never going to be able to make the credible case that we are the party of fiscal conservatism and government frugality if we are constantly dining heavily on a diet of Congressional earmarks. Remember, in the court of public opinion, perception is very important. Thanks to vast number of outrageous and egregious pork-barrel earmarks, the entire earmarking 
process is being viewed by the public, and certainly by Republican donors and activists as being corrupt. Earmarks that are awarded based on back-slapping and horse-trading, rather than through the creation of objective, definable and provable criteria are egregious, and should be stopped.
[How did your California Representative vote on fifty different opportunities to eliminate extremely egregious earmarks to appropriations bills this session? Here is our report on the Club for Growth’s RePORK Card…]
The San Francisco Chronicle, on of the country’s major newspapers, yesterday ran a lengthy story on earmarking and how the top Congressional leaders are bringing home the most pork. The article starts out talking about Speaker Pelosi, but part way through the story, we get to the part that irks me. Republicans feeding at the trough.
**There is more – click the link**
September 5th, 2007 at 12:00 am
There is something said for the higher road. I agree with Jon that perception is very important. The Republican leaders in congress, and in California, have an opportunity to show the American public who has the best fiscal mindset. But when we (Republicans) use the same tactics as those who would impose a bloated government upon us we get lumped together by discontent voters as they see higher taxes taken out of their check to pay for this pork.
I think everyone on this site is astute enough to realize the political motivations to win large pots of money for the home front but that is not the issue. Let’s be what we are trying to tell people we are… a party of conservatives who do not want bigger government. Think of the overall game and not just the current play – perhaps a bad analogy but hopefully the point is there.
Richard Rios
Director and Chief Coordinator-California For Thompson
State Coordinator-FredHeadsUSA
State Coordinator-DraftFredThompson
http://www.californiaforthompson.com
California’s largest grassroots effort to support Fred Thompson for president.