“I could only think of about one thing I liked in John McCain. One thing. He hates budget earmarks as much as I do.”
Or so he said. And then McCain took time out of his campaign to rush back to DC and help pass the 700B bailout bill that was so pork/ear-mark filled, it put the lie to McCain’s campaign promises to end ear marks.
I think he still hated the earmarks. The economists in Washington, all of them as far as I know, told all the politicians that the $700 billion bailout was critical and had to be done now!. I believe McCain is, as he has said, ignorant of economics and just went along with the majority of the "smart people" on this.
But, as you point out, the result is the same: a pork-laden goody package.