Sen. Grassley demands to see surveys showing inmates didn't like pork. Pork immediately put back on the menu...

 Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin.  Photo: Diana Rattray



It's hard to believe most non-Muslims  don't like pork. 

WASHINGTON — After a week of controversy surrounding its abrupt removal of pork dishes from the national menu for federal inmates, the government did an about-face this week and put pork roast back on the prison bill of fare.
The Bureau of Prisons disclosed the decision to The Washington Post hours after a Republican Senate leader expressed dismay at what he implied was a wasteful survey of inmates’ food preferences and a lack of transparency in the decision.
“The pork industry is responsible for 547,800 jobs, which creates $22.3 billion in personal incomes and contributes $39 billion to the gross domestic product,” Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote in a letter Thursday to Bureau of Prisons Director Charles E. Samuels, Jr.[snip]

To corroborate the validity of the claim that prisoners indicated a lack of interest in pork products, I am requesting copies of the prisoner surveys and responses that were used to support the determination to no longer serve pork in federal prisons. Additionally, the spokesman indicated that pork had been the lowest rated food, ‘for several years.’ ...

GOPe and Democrats finally find an issue they agree on. They want to bring back earmarks and pork...

Apparently, eliminating pork is some right-wing radical TEA PARTY idea.

Porky's II: The Earmarkers Strike Back
TOM COBURN 

May 1, 2014 7:13 p.m. E
Remember the $223 million in federal funds earmarked in 2005 for the "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska? The project stalled but the public outrage it sparked led to a 2011 decision by Congress to end earmarking. Well, it looks like the bridge-to-nowhere crowd is ready to get the scaffolding out again, with lobbyists and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle calling for a return to earmarks and pork-barrel politics.
The powerful House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R., Ky.) has called the ban a "bad idea." Two Republican candidates in Mississippi—Sen. Thad Cochran and House candidate Gene Taylor —are making a return to pork part of their platform. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) recently tried to dismiss the bipartisan ban as a fringe, right-wing idea that has led to gridlock. "It was a tea party reform," Sen. Durbin told reporters in Springfield, Ill., on April 14 after a speech to Teamsters. "They came in and eliminated it and what they did is take the glue out of a federal transportation bill. That was the glue that held everybody together."
Mr. Durbin said he longs for the day "when we get back to the point where members of Congress are sitting down with a common goal—let's pass this bill, let's make sure there is enough money in this bill, let's find the sources of revenue necessary for this bill—you know, it creates a much better and more positive feeling."
The "glue" is pork and the "positive feeling" that Mr. Durbin is referring to is the joy of spending other people's money. For politicians, this sensation is highly addictive. It's why I called earmarks the gateway drug to Washington's spending addiction after fighting my own party's earmarks in the 1990s. Read it all...

Nancy Pelosi channels Hillary Clinton when asked about pork in debt ceiling bill..

"What difference does it make" is the new democratic mantra...

(CNSNews.com) – House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) asked why reporters were making an issue out of the additional spending that was added to the continuing resolution that re-opened the federal government and increased the debt limit.
“What difference does it make? Why are we talking about this? We’re talking about a bill that as I said last night, I’m not asking anybody to vote for this bill on the merits,” Pelosi said.
The bill included funds to fix flooded roads in Colorado, $3 million for a civil liberties oversight board, a death benefit payment to the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s (D-N.J.) widow, as well as an increase in authorization for spending on construction on the lower Ohio River in Illinois and Kentucky, the Hill reported.

Finally: Pork infused ammo for stopping Jihadists...

It's about time...

(AmmoLand) —  You’ve probably already heard about the bizarre, Islamist slaughter of an off-duty British soldier in broad daylight on a busy street in London in May 2013.

The two assailants struck the victim with a car then jumped out and began hacking and slashing him with knives and a meat cleaver. The murderers then strutted around the victim’s body for 15 to 20 minutes until armed police arrived, upon which the self-proclaimed jihadists launched an assault on the police and were shot.

Most strange is the way that the attackers waited around after the slaughter, strutting and bragging, but not particularly threatening or attempting to harm any of the onlookers, until armed police units finally arrived, at which point the murderers commenced what could only be characterized as a suicide attack – having brought knives to a gunfight.

Many have asked why the attackers just waited around for the armed police. Why didn’t they flee or continues attacking others, as one might expect from a couple of crazed murderers? What were they waiting for?

The answer to that question is very significant. These men were waiting for their tickets to Paradise – and 72 virgins. They engaged in their act of jihad, killing an “infidel aggressor, enemy of Islam,” and then waited around for the armed police to show up so they could die in battle for Allah’s glory, martyrs, and therefore elected for special rewards in Paradise.  [...]

A company in northern Idaho has come up with a culturally sensitive solution. Jihawg Ammo has developed a proprietary system for infusing ballistic paint with pork. The special pork-infused paint is then applied to the bullets of loaded ammunition. The inclusion of pork in the paint makes the bullets haraam, or unclean. Under Islamic law, anyone who comes in contact with any haraam item is then unclean, and must engage in a cleansing ritual. No unclean person can be admitted into Paradise. Do not pass Go. Do not collect 72 virgins.

Pic of the Day: The $600,000 toad statue your tax dollars paid for and you will never see in person

Yes. Taxpayers paid $600,000 for this toad and fairy girl statue. It sets in the lobby of the restricted DoD Mark Center building in Alexandria, VA and can only be viewed by about 2000 employees. That comes to $300 an employee for the pleasure of enjoying this art piece. As an added plus, it reportedly makes a gurgling sound. Oh, that noise may be coming from the taxpayers who paid for this pork toad.

Harry Reid Sweetens Tax Cut Deal With Democrats Favorite Meat: Pork

Harry Reid is gathering his fellow Senate democrats around the trough for another round of pork-laden backroom deals.

(Heritage Foundation) Well now Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV) has submitted a bill, and it is clear that negotiations are still very much open … at least for the left. Politico reports that in order to buy the votes of Senators Maria Cantwell (D–WA) and Barbara Boxer (D–CA), Reid added cash subsidies for wind and solar corporations that were originally part of Obama’s first failed stimulus. And Senator Tom Harkin (D–IA) was also able to trade his vote for more ethanol subsidies. Other “sweeteners” added to buy leftist Senate votes include subsidies for energy-efficient appliances and mass-transit benefits for employees.

Wonderful: $1.44 Million in Federal Dollars Spent Studying Male Prostitutes in Vietnam

The CBO has estimated President Obama's budget plans will generate
$10 trillion in new deficits over the next decade. I realize $1.44 million may not seem like a lot to Congressmen or Washington bureaucrats, but this is real money out here in fly-over country. In the current budget climate, it is absurd to spend this kind of money on a project that is irrelevant to ordinary Americans.

CNS News reported:

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has so far awarded $1.44 million in federal funds to a project that, among other things, is estimating the size of the population and examining the “social milieu” of male prostitutes in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

“In Study 1, formative ethnography will be used to describe the settings, venues, and overall social milieu in which male sex work is being situated,” says the NIH abstract for the grant. “In Study 2, we will conduct a Capture-Recapture Survey to estimate the size of the male sex worker population in each city.”...

Shocker: 99% of Earmarks in Homeland Security Bill Go to Democrats

The proposed Homeland Security spending bill for 2011 contains $69.95 million in earmarks for various Congressmen. 99% of the earmarked money goes to Democrats. The only Republican project is $800,000 for an emergency operations center in New Orleans sought by GOP Rep. Joseph Cao (La).

The Hill reported:

All earmarks in the proposed Homeland Security spending bill for 2011 went to Democrats — save one.

Rep. Joseph Cao (La.) was the only House Republican to win a Homeland Security earmark: $800,000 for Federal Emergency Management Administration state and local programs and an emergency operations center in New Orleans. Every other earmark was sponsored by a Democrat.

Corruption Alert: Democratic Districts Getting Twice The Stimulus of GOP Districts

Apparently, stimulus funds are being doled out without regard for need. The most money isn't going to poor districts that have high unemployment. Actually, the most important statistics for getting stimulus money seem to be living in a Democratic district that has a higher than average income level. Democrats crafted the 'Stimulus Bill' with only three republican votes. Republicans claimed the bill was mostly pork for democrats. This new study confirms they were correct.

Democratic districts have received nearly twice as much stimulus money as Republican districts and the cash has been awarded without regard to how badly an area was suffering from job losses, according to a new study.

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University reviewed the distribution of $157 billion in stimulus dollars based on publicly available reports and found that there was "no statistical correlation" between the amount of money a district got and its income or unemployment rate.

$16 million in pork barrel spending for canned pork: Priceless

Sliced ham:$1,191,200
Ham, water added: $2,531,600
Canned pork:$16,784,272
Over $20 million in pork barrel spending for pork: Priceless

Via Drudge Report:

RECOVERY.GOV // AWARDED: $2,531,600 FOR 'HAM, WATER ADDED, COOKED, FROZEN, SLICED, 2-LB'...
RECOVERY.GOV // AWARDED: $1,191,200 FOR '2 POUND FROZEN HAM SLICED'...
RECOVERY.GOV // AWARDED: $351,807 FOR 'REPLACE AND UPGRADE THE DUMBWAITER'...
RECOVERY.GOV // AWARDED: $1,562,568 FOR 'MOZZARELLA CHEESE'...
RECOVERY.GOV // AWARDED: $5,708,260 FOR 'PROCESS CHEESE'...
RECOVERY.GOV // AWARDED: $16,784,272 FOR 'CANNED PORK'...
RECOVERY.GOV // AWARDED: $1,444,100 FOR 'REPAIR DOOR BLDG 5112'...
RECOVERY.GOV // AWARDED: $541,119 FOR 'INSTALL TRAFFIC SIGNAL'...

Democrats told us parts of the stimulus were "shovel ready." We just thought they were referring to construction jobs.

Stimulus money used to buy pork at one half a million per pound

This sounds like a corny "porkulus" joke, but it is the truth. This stimulus funded purchase is recorded on the governments own recovery.gov website.

Screen shot from recovery.gov:

That must be some mighty fine ham. I wonder how many jobs this created?

Hat tip to American Thinker.

Nephew of John Murtha received $4 million in "no bid" defense contracts

John Murtha(D for despicable) is already known for being a king of pork. He steered millions to a local airport that is seldom used. Rep. Murtha is a Pennsylvania Democrat who has significant sway over the Defense Department's spending as chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee. His largess does not stop at the local residents of his district. His nephew has received a $4 million "no bid" defense contract. The Washington Post reported:

The headquarters of Murtech, in a low-slung, bland building in a Glen Burnie business park, has its blinds drawn tight and few signs of life. On several days of visits, a handful of cars sit in the parking lot, and no trucks arrive at the 10 loading bays at the back of the building.

Yet last year, Murtech received $4 million in Pentagon work, all of it without competition, for a variety of warehousing and engineering services. With its long corridor of sparsely occupied offices and an unmanned reception area, Murtech's most striking feature is its owner -- Robert C. Murtha Jr., 49. He is the nephew of Rep. John P. Murtha, the Pennsylvania Democrat who has significant sway over the Defense Department's spending as chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.

China bans some US pork

Either the Chinese are hitting back for recent US restrictions on dangerous products or our pork does not have enough lead content. Fox News reported:

China and five other countries have banned pork and other meat products from some U.S. states, drawing criticism from U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk since officials say the swine flu is not transmitted by food.

Kirk's office said the bans were imposed because of the swine flu outbreak. The countries imposing those bans are China, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Thailand and United Arab Emirates.

Reuters reports that Kirk warned those countries that such bans are not based on science and could disrupt trade.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says pork is still safe to eat, and that all food-borne germs are killed when pork is cooked to 160 F anyway.

The John Murtha pork barrel airport

Ever wonder how all that pork barrel money is being wasted? Here is one great example. Watch and learn.

ABC News Reports On John Murtha's Pork Laden Airport(video via YouTube)

Is your Congressperson a top "pig?"

Citizens Against Government Waste is out with its annual "Pig Book." This is a list of lawmakers whom the group considers the nation's most prolific porkers. Sadly, two of the top five "porkers" in the Senate are Republicans. The top five Senate list is: Thad Cochran(R), Dan Inouye(D), Roger Wicker(R), Robert Byrd(D) and Tom Harkin(D). The top "porkers" in the House of Representatives are Hawaii Democratic Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Mazie Hirono. You would think living in the paradise of Hawaii would be it's own reward, but Hawaii was second on the list of earmarks on a per capita basis. Alaska was number one. To her credit, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has tried to refuse some federal money, but her State Legislator and Democrats are up in arms. Here is the story from Foxnews.com.

Lawmakers asked for nearly $20 billion in earmarks or "pork-barrel projects" in their homes states in 2009, a nearly 15 percent increase in funding from last year, according to a prominent taxpayer interest group.

At a press conference Tuesday featuring both costumed and live mascots, including two Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released their annual Pig Book, detailing the thousands of special projects lawmakers requested for 2009.

"Despite repeated claims by members of Congress that earmarks have been reduced, the Pig Book belies that claim," said CAGW President Tom Schatz, who noted that this year's spending bill also included 221 anonymous earmarks amounting to $7.8 billion of the spending that no lawmakers took credit for.

Obama loves choo choos

President-elect Obama took a train to his inauguration this January. He seems to be infatuated with rail travel. Vice-President Joe Biden also loves trains. He boasted he has taken over 7000 train rides to Washington. Now that They are in office, the US Government is committing $1.5 billion to improve Amtrak train service over the next two years. This comes to about a $26 taxpayer subsidy for every ticket to be sold during that time period. I guess they both had toy train sets when they were kids.

Obama boosts Amtrak funding
Northeast to get half of $1.3 billion grant

WASHINGTON - New England travelers should benefit from faster, more frequent and safer train travel with an extra $1.3 billion pumped into the long-struggling Amtrak, half of it directed to the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, the Obama administration announced yesterday.

Amtrak, never a favorite of the Bush administration or Republican Congresses, has struggled to retain critical federal subsidies in recent years. But the $787 billion stimulus package recently signed by President Obama will allow the system to renovate trains and stations, improve safety systems, and provide more passenger capacity, administration officials said. (excerpt) read more at boston.com

Democrats claim Porkulus bill is ready for passage

Senate Democrats think they have enough votes to pass the bloated bacon explosion of a stimulus bill. They say they have the votes of at least three or four Republicans. If this is true, please note the names of these RINO's and remove them from office at their next election.

Democrats say Senate will pass stimulus Friday
Fri Feb 6, 2009 7:23pm ES

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats said they had enough votes to pass a scaled-backed $780 billion economic stimulus package and planned a vote on the measure later on Friday.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said Democrats would win passage of the measure demanded by President Barack Obama with the support of at least three or four Republicans in the 100-member chamber. (excerpted) read more at reuters.com

Democrats concede they lack votes to pass "Porkulus" bill in the Senate

Senate Democratic leaders concede they lack the votes to pass the "Porkulus" bill in the Senate. They are considering trimming the bacon explosion of pork from the stimulus bill in an attempt to gain bipartisan support. Hopefully, this bill can be trimmed down to 500 billion in items that will stimulate the economy in the next twelve months. I believe most Americans agree we need a stimulus bill. They just don't want every possible special interest project crammed into it. They have come to realize most of the current bill has nothing to do with stimulating the economy. That is why support for this bill has dropped to 37% according to a rasmussenreports.com poll.

Senate Lacks Votes to Pass Stimulus
Democrats Trying to Trim $900 Billion Plan to Gain GOP Support

By Shailagh Murray and Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, February 4, 2009; Page A01

Senate Democratic leaders conceded yesterday that they do not have the votes to pass the stimulus bill as currently written and said that to gain bipartisan support, they will seek to cut provisions that would not provide an immediate boost to the economy. (excerpted) redad more at washingtonpost.com

The stimulus bill will force the military to buy electric vehicles

According to U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, the stimulus bill will force the military to buy electric vehicles. You have to wonder if the democrat's cheese has completely slipped off their cracker. Are electric tanks and helicopters next? The military can not depend on electric vehicles in a time of war or emergency. That is highlighted now in the State of Kentucky where Governor Beshear has deployed the entire KY National Guard to help out in an ice storm. There is now no power in the areas they are being deployed. Electric vehicles would be useless. In an emergency, you want all your vehicles to function. I guess the Democrats have never head of an EMP pulse. If we ever had that occur, all the electric vehicles would be fried.

The Democrat bill takes money, actually it borrows money, and decides where it should go. It does virtually nothing to stimulate the economy while it wastes billions of taxpayer dollars. It's a hodge-podge of long-supported pet projects that the normal budget process would have thrown out. Using the troubled economy as their motive, Democrats have opened the floodgates for all sorts of outrageous wasteful spending. Here are just a few examples from the Senate's bill, which we will debate next week:

* $400 million for researching sexually transmitted diseases
* $200 million for bike and pedestrian trails and off-road vehicle routes
* $200 million to force the military to buy environmentally-friendly electric cars
* $34 million to renovate the Department of Commerce headquarters
* $75 million for a program to end smoking (excerpted) read more at
demint.senate.gov

There is no pony hiding in the stimulus "pile of manure"

You can dig all you want, but there is no pony hiding under the Democrat's stimulus manure pile. They have shoved all kinds of pork in the package for their supporters. They are even trying to pay off Acorn for acting as their agent in the last election. According to the CBO, only $26 billion would be spent in this fiscal year. Most of the rest of the stimulus won't be spent until the economy has recovered on its own. Republicans should ready "the filibuster" and bury this stinking pile of manure. If Barack Obama wants to stimulate the economy, let him lower taxes.

An overoptimistic stimulus plan
By Jeff Jacoby
Globe Columnist / January 28, 2009

First of two columns
RONALD REAGAN loved to tell the story of the unfailingly cheerful little boy who wakes up on Christmas morning to find, instead of presents, an immense pile of manure. Undaunted, he grabs a shovel and starts digging. "With all this manure," he says excitedly, "there must be a pony in here someplace!"

Is there a pony somewhere in the $825 billion "stimulus" plan that Democrats in the House of Representatives plan to bring to a vote this week? The Congressional Budget Office started digging into this immense pile of, uh, deficit spending, and what it found would discourage even a Reagan-caliber optimist.

According to the CBO, less than half of the $355 billion the bill allocates to infrastructure and other "discretionary" projects would actually be spent by the end of 2010; of that, a mere $26 billion would be spent in the current fiscal year. "The rest would come in future years," the Washington Post reported, "long after the CBO and other economists predict the recession will have ended." Excerpted from boston.com