Troop funds diverted to pet projects

When are we going to hear this from the Obama lapdog media? We have so few media outlets willing to cover this Administration and tell the truth. This is a travesty on top of attaching 'hate crimes' legislation to the Defense bill. These Progressives are playing with the lives of our men and women in the military overseas not to mention all of our lives by short changing our military just like was done in the Clinton years. What is with Progressive Democrats and their lack of concern about our national security? Kum By Ya doesn't cut it in today's dangerous world where we have muslim extremists who want to kill Americans.

Troop funds diverted to pet projects
Washington Times
by Shaun Waterman
10/15/2009 1:27:39 AM

Senators diverted $2.6 billion in funds in a defense spending bill to pet projects largely at the expense of accounts that pay for fuel, ammunition and training for U.S. troops, including those fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an analysis.

Among the 778 such projects, known as earmarks, packed into the bill: $25 million for a new World War II museum at the University of New Orleans and $20 million to launch an educational institute named after the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat.

While earmarks are hardly new in Washington, "in 30 years on Capitol Hill, I never saw Congress mangle the defense budget as badly as this year," said Winslow Wheeler, a former Senate staffer who worked on defense funding and oversight for both Republicans and Democrats. He is now a senior fellow at the Center for Defense Information, an independent research organization.

Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, called the transfer of funds from Pentagon operations and maintenance "a disgrace."

"The Senate is putting favorable headlines back home above our men and women fighting on the front lines," he said in a statement.

Excerpt: Full Article at Washington Times