GOP Picks a Porker for Approps, Not Flake

Amanda Carpenter | February 15, 2008 7:09 AM

They said they wanted to get serious about cutting earmarks, but when presented the opportunity to put a tough earmark hawk on the House Appropriations Committee, the meat factory of pork barrel spending,

House Republicans passed.

Instead of putting Rep. Jeff Flake (R.-Ariz.), who has challenged earmarks on the House floor again and again and had campaigned for the slot, the 27-member House Republican Steering Committee chose the "proud" earmarker Rep. Jo Bonner (R.-Ala.).

On Bonner's congressional website, he explains the earmarking process and says, "I am proud of our accomplishments in steering funds through this method to many worthy south Alabama projects."