How Politicians Help Donors and Buy Contributions with Earmarks

You should go look at OpenSecrets when you have the time. All the links embedded in this clip are interesting and worth a visit.

clipped from blogs.usatoday.com The Seattle Times has a story about the $4.5 million boat that you paid to build, even though the U.S. Navy didn't need it and ended up giving it to the University of Washington. The "sleek, 85-foot speedboat" is one of the vessels purchased with $17.65 million in earmarks that Sen. Patty Murray and Reps. Norm Dicks and Brian Baird slipped into spending bills. The Democrats used those provisions to force the Navy and Coast Guard to buy unwanted maritime vessels, according to the Times. Here's a list of contributions by persons associated with Guardian Marine. OpenSecrets.org has a good overview of contributions by people who work for the defense industry.