Month: July 2009

“Earmark” Enters Dictionary

The word “earmark” was given an additional dictionary definition, according to this report. The noun “earmark” has been in use for centuries. It originally meant a notch marked on livestock’s ear and later came to include any identifying mark. The new definition calls it “a provision in congressional legislation that allocates a specified amount of […]

The Murtha Money Trail

The Times discusses Rep. Murtha’s connection to an executive who pleaded guilty to bribery-related charges. The Murtha money trail is far from fully explored but already features a second tangent of Congressional appropriations staff members’ exiting through the golden door to defense lobbying and scoring big contracts from their old bosses. Taxpayers should press the […]

Republican Leader

The Times discusses a new biography of Sen. Mitch McConnell here. Mr. McConnell, according to the biographer John David Dyche, arrived in Washington in 1985 after a stunning upset victory based on a now-famous political advertisement featuring a bloodhound in pursuit of his opponent. By his own admission, he was not ready for the job, […]