Congress divided about giving itself a pay raise

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER ^ | 10-23-05 | Judy Holland

[MurryMom]

They should be made to cut pork barrel spending in order to finance their pay rise.

I agree for once.

Please identify 3 items you consider to be "pork barrel spending". The top 3 items on my list are Bush's war in Iraq; Sen. Stevens' bridge to nowhere serving 50 islanders in Alaska; and abstinence only education. These 3 items alone amount to over $45 billion per year.

I might agree to many more if you identify them specifically and if they amount to more than chump change in the overall scheme of things.