Pork a la Lieberman

The most sanctimonious Senator of them all, who is supporting earmark-hater John McCain for president, has a ravenous appetite for the stuff, according to a new report showing Congress on an election-year binge despite all promises to the contrary.

According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, Joe Lieberman has led the way in looting the new Defense Authorization bill by participating in 14 requests worth more than $292 million.

But he is not alone in grabbing money for voters back home. "Both parties talk a good game on cutting earmarks, but at first opportunity, the House larded up," said Stephen Ellis of the watchdog group. "This is just another broken promise."

Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake points out that the budget system lets lawmakers use earmarks not only to woo voters but draw campaign contributions from recipient organizations and their lobbyists in what Taxpayers for Common Sense describes as the "pay-to-play system."

The new data show most members of the House Armed Services Committee getting financial returns from companies that benefit from being showered with taxpayer money.

"It's corrupting. It's a much bigger problem than the sum of its parts. It's much more than just waste," says Flake, a critic of both parties. "One good defense earmark can yield tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions."

Meanwhile, fellow Arizona John McCain is running for president on the issue, while his chief cheerleader Joe Lieberman is gorging on one bill alone for more than a quarter of a billion dollars.

Obama's Whitewater

In the candidate mud fight last night, Hillary Clinton made a drive-by reference to Obama's "representing your constituent Rezko in his slumlord business," and the Illinois Senator responded by passing the association off as "I worked for someone and a church group and I did a few hours work." Both were being, to put it kindly, disingenuous.

For weeks now, Clinton supporters under the radar have kept up an accusatory drumbeat about Obama's connection to Antoin Rezko, who goes on trial next month for corruption in federal court, and Obama is vulnerable about a relationship that goes back to 1990, involving transactions he will ultimately have to explain in detail.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, "In 13 years in politics, Obama has gotten at least $168,000 in campaign donations from Rezko, his family and business associates....

"Eleven Rezmar buildings were in the state Senate district Obama represented between 1996 and 2004. Many of the buildings ended up in foreclosure, with tenants living in squalid conditions, the Sun-Times reported last year. In one instance, Rezko’s company left tenants without heat for five weeks. Obama said he was unaware of problems with the buildings and minimized the legal work he’d done.

"Obama’s relationship with Rezko grew closer in June 2005, when Obama and Rezko’s wife bought adjoining real estate parcels from a doctor in the South Side Kenwood neighborhood. Obama paid $1.65 million for the doctor’s mansion, while Rezko’s wife paid $625,000 for the vacant lot next door. Obama’s purchase price was $300,000 below the asking price; Rezko’s wife paid full price.

"Six months later, Obama paid Rita Rezko $104,500 for one-sixth of the vacant lot, which he bought to expand his yard."

In 2006, the Senator expressed regret about the transaction. “It was a mistake to have been engaged with him at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else,” Obama said, “to believe that he had done me a favor.”

Last week, after a published report that a $10,000 donation to his 2004 Senate campaign came from a fraud that Rezko is accused of devising, Obama's campaign announced it would give charities $40,350 in donations linked to the developer, in addition to more than $44,000 it divested last year.

The Clintons' Whitewater dealings, ultimately not found to be illegal, nevertheless ended up with Ken Starr and impeachment on unrelated matters. Now that Rezko is in the limelight, Sen. Obama would be well-advised to clear up accusations that fail to pass the smell test. Otherwise, they may continue to haunt him all year, with a little help from the Clintons and, should he win nomination, the Republican remnants of the Rove smear machine.

Is John Edwards Accident-Prone?

On the heels of good news about the Iowa polling, the former Senator can’t resist shooting himself in the foot by trying to score points demanding his Democratic opponents give back contributions from Rupert Murdoch.

Today Murdoch’s New York Post notes that Edwards “himself earned at least $800,000 for a book published by one of the media mogul's companies.” Was he, the Post asked, going to give that back?

This little pickle recalls the hoo-ha about Edwards’ use of money raised to fight poverty for campaign purposes and his tortured explanation for earning almost half a million dollars for a part-time job with a hedge fund involved in sub-prime loans to low-income home owners.

Edwards might be well advised to stop talking about the rich and stick to palaver about the poor.