The Bridge to Nowhere has been in the news alot recently, primarily due to Obama’s insistence that it represents Sarah Palins fiscal irresponsibility. Yesterday I remarked that Obama should have known better than to bring earmark spending to the forefront of the debate, considering he has requested close to $1 Billion in earmarks since joining the Senate a few years ago.

In fact, Obama’s has shown his own fiscal irresponsibility in voting down an amendment which would have re directed funds designated for the infamous Bridge to Nowhere to Louisiana to repair the Twin Span Bridge damaged by Katrina. Despite overwhelming support from Conservatives and Liberals alike, the Amendment received only 15 votes in favor. The failure of the Amendment drew the ire Markos Moulitsas, founder of the popular liberal blog Daily Kos who said:

It was easier to keep tally of the meager few “yes” votes than write in the tons of senators which put the politics of personal pork above the national interest. A $223 million bridge serving 50 people was more important to these people than rebuilding storm-battered New Orleans.

Simply unconscionable. Those who voted against these amendments have zero credibility on issues of fiscal responsibility. Zero.

Both Barack Obama, and Joe Biden voted against the amendments, indicating that Kos believes them to have zero credibility on issues of fiscal responsibility. Of course Kos is more interested in electing Democrats than fiscal responsibility, so I am sure he has changed his tune on this subject.

Exit question: Kos described those who voted against the amendment as putting “personal pork above the national interest”. Is this a quality we should accept in a President?

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Barack Obama, Daily Kos, Earmarks, Election 2008, Features, Liberals, Politics, Sarah Palin, Taxes