Earmark beneficiaries help benefactors' re-election

Examples of lawmakers who have sponsored earmarks for private companies and received campaign contributions from them and, in some cases, their lobbyists:

_Rep. David Hobson, R-Ohio, a member of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, obtained a $2.4 million earmark last year for the Greentree Group of Beavercreek, Ohio, for a digital information sharing system. Greentree Group executives, their families and consultants have donated $43,350 to Hobson since 2000, reports The Columbus Dispatch.

_Rep. Peter Visclosky, D-Ind., a member of House defense appropriations subcommittee, sponsored a $2 million earmark to 21st Century Systems last year for a virtual fence demonstration project. 21st Century has opened offices in Visclosky's district. Its executives have contributed more than $27,000 to Visclosky in 2007-2008. The company's Washington lobbyist is the PMA Group, a major appropriations lobbying shop whose associates have his campaign more than $45,000 in 2007-2008. The Indianapolis Star reported that Visclosky also helped Applied Global Technologies obtain a $2 million earmark for video teletraining for the military. Three Applied Global Technologies executives, including Executive Vice President Mike Garvey, each gave Visclosky a maximum $2,300 contribution.

_Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., co-sponsored an $8.3 million earmark for Marine Corps UC-12 replacement aircraft built by Hawker Beechcraft Corp. in Wichita. Company executives have contributed $11,750 to Tiahrt this election cycle.

_Reps. Rob Andrews, D-N.J., and Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J. Since 2003, Andrews — and in some cases LoBiondo — sponsored $24.4 million in federal contracts to Gestalt LLC for work on speedy analyses of ships spotted at sea and teaching robots to work together. Executives of Gestalt contributed more than $14,000 to Andrews since 2002, and $2,500 to LoBiondo. Employees from Gestalt's lobbying firm, American Defense International, delivered another $11,000 to Andrews and $5,750 to LoBiondo, reports the Courier-Post of Cherry Hill, N.J.

_Rep. Tim Holden, D-Pa., earmarked $3.2 million to Reading-based Fidelity Technologies for the Call for Fire Trainer, a training simulator to help "forward observers" conduct calls for fire missions. The family of its founder, Jack Gulati, has contributed $10,000-plus to Holden's re-election campaigns over the past six years. Employees of Fidelity's lobbying firm, PMA Group, have donated $63,225 to Holden campaigns since 2002, the Allentown Morning Call reports.

_Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., provided a $1.6 million defense bill earmark to EDO Corp. for "smart rack" weapons release systems that let fighter pilots fire various weapons or drop bombs at separate times. EDO's political action committee gave Murphy $10,000, the Bucks County Courier Times reports. EDO also hired the PMA Group as its lobbying firm. PMA lobbyists and their spouses have given generously to Murphy, with contributions in the current election cycle totaling $18,500.

_Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., delivered a $1.6 million for SecuriMetrics Inc., which manufactures biometric identification devices that use iris, fingerprint and facial recognition technology. Employees of SecuriMetrics Inc. have donated $16,090 to Miller and his political action committee since 2004, the Contra Costa Times reports.

_Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., won a $1.6 million earmark last year for Engineering and Software Systems Solutions Inc. for advanced coating technologies. Kingston has received more than $20,000 in campaign contributions this election cycle from company executives and their wives.

That is only 1 of 3 areas where I respect McFlap. I’m not voting for him

Which is fine for those of you who won't mind living in a Marxist country - where your vote won't count in the future so you won't have to perturb yourself about who to vote for.

For the rest of us, even though McC was not our first or second choice, we know enough about the history of civilizations to recognize the 'earmarks' of Communism/Marxism.

For most who have gone through the Marxist Indoctrination Camps - aka public schools - in the past 30 years where Che is a hero and Geo. WAshington a 'slave owner' - they don't recognize the signs...and will go like lambs to the slaughter, noses held high in defense of their precious misplaced "principles". Others of us the dangers and the portents.

McCain may not be as conservative as we want, but he's for the Republic (we are not a democracy, we are a Republic,) and will uphold our Constitutional Rights, the first and most important: the 2nd Amendment...the first one the obamama will work to strike down.

The movie of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged was supposed to come out this month. It has been pushed off until next year, if it ever sees the light of day. She was born in Communist Russia and was a young girl when the Bolshevik Revolution hit. She knew how a country can fall to Communism when the people are not paying heed to the signs. She educated Ronald Reagan, who went on to get that wall torn down and ultimately, the fall of Communist Russia.

I suspect that the movie has been delayed, at least in part, by the powers that be in Hollywood and DC that see it as a danger to their cause in that it is not only a great, epic novel, but it spells out the steps that lead to the take over of a country. Many people will 'see the light' and that would not be good for the Marxists, aka democrats.

I would suggest you not read it - it will make myopic reasoning seem what it is. You might wake up after the fact and that would be uncomfortable. (If you have read it, it may not have been with much comprehension)

The only way for the Conservative revolution to come back is to see what marxism can do.

Took 80 years of Marxism in Russia = great plan, let's let the Marxist's take over and hope that'll teach all the generations to come what it's about. If they're lucky, our great-great-great-grandchildren will get out from under it.

If history were taught in the indoctrination camps, aka schools, people would know what "Marxism can do" without having to live through generations of it.

Your remark reminds of last election: "Let's throw the pubbies out and then they'll wake up and we'll get our conservatives back in 2008" .

Yeah, that's working out well - for peeelosi and reedy boy.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.