Faux News story...any debunks yet...?

[imax2268]

Democrats Shut Down Agency That Keeps Score on Earmarks

This is a partial transcript of "The Big Story With John Gibson," March 26, 2007, that has been edited for clarity.

JOHN GIBSON, HOST: Time now for "Big Politics." Democrats said they were going to make lots of changes if they won control of Congress. Well here's one big change: They finally figured out a way to improve on the public practice of earmarking.

Democrats have shut down the agency that actually identifies who and what last-minute information is being slipped into a bill. So now that they have the power, is this all part of a big cover-up? What are the Democrats trying to hide? With me now is Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn.

So Tom, you know, these earmarks, pork, led to corruption charges against Republicans. A lot of people think that that's part of the reason why the Democrats were swept into office. They promised they weren't going to do it any more, but now they are. Plus, they went one more step. Tell me what it was?

SEN. TOM COBURN, R-OKLA.: Well the CRS, which is a branch of the Library of Congress, has refused to give the senators a list of the earmarks in this last year's appropriations bill. And they don't have a good reason for not doing that, other than the fact that there obviously has been some implied pressure if they continue to do so. And so that's something we depend on and now we don't have that as a source.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,261649,00.html

can't find anything on google except Faux News and right wing hate blogs...

[babylonsister]

1. According to this (from WA Times!), CRS shut themselves down:

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20070329-121558-7254r.htm

snip//

CRS, a nonpartisan agency of the Library of Congress created to conduct research for members of Congress on legislative issues, changed its policy in February -- a month after Democrats took control of the Congress and vowed to curb the number of special-interest projects inserted into spending bills or even reports that don't require a vote.
CRS Director Daniel P. Mulhollan developed the policy after consulting with "internal CRS appropriations experts" and deciding the service was redundant with what other agencies do, CRS spokeswoman Janine D'Addario said.

[bluemarkers]

2. yes

jinx, sorry no delete key.

it was a duplicate effort of two agencies. The Dems are cutting pork. oh and the CRS requested this - an internal request.

from, ahem the wash times

CRS Director Daniel P. Mulhollan developed the policy after consulting with "internal CRS appropriations experts" and deciding the service was redundant with what other agencies do, CRS spokeswoman Janine D'Addario said.
"His decision was strictly an internal decision," said Miss D'Addario, whose agency began providing Congress members with information on earmarks in 1994, when Mr. Mulhollan took over as director.
CRS said the Office of Management and Budget recently has been taking on a greater role in monitoring earmarks. And with both chambers of Congress this year establishing new guidelines and clearer definitions of earmarks, the agency said its role as a scorekeeper of earmarks is obsolete.

I don't know how to do the link thing. I hope this is OK

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20070329-121558-7254r.htm

[progdonkey]

3. don't know, but....

You gotta love the ending exchange:

COBURN: Well my job is to make sure the American public knows about it and knows how dangerous earmarks for us in terms of — right now we have a government we can't afford and one of the biggest reasons for that is because of earmarks.

GIBSON: Some of these projects we know about are foreign projects, you know, spinach research and other sorts of things. Are you saying that those are things that the Republicans wouldn't have put through, that they're only Democrat pork?

COBURN: Well no, I would agree with you that there is pork on both sides of the aisle. But the problem is — the battle that's shaping up is can we can afford to do things that aren't absolutely necessary now when we're borrowing the money from our grandchildren.

GIBSON: Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, thanks very much. Appreciate you coming on.

COBURN: John, good to be with you.

Ah, so now that it's the Dems in charge, all of a sudden he cares about "borrowing money from our grandchildren," but ending Bush's money pit in Iraq and idiotic tax cuts was never an option.

[imax2268]

4. found this...

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/crs032607.pdf