Secrets
Barack Obama's campaign today released the senator's earmark requests for 2005, 2006 and 2007, and issued a call for Hillary Clinton to do the same. The move is significant for two reasons:
1. The GOP is going to make a fuss about earmarks during the general (John McCain has, as we know, called for an end to the practice); and
2. The implication of this demand, and more so should Clinton not comply, is, of course, that she's hiding something. Sound familiar? Add earmarks to the list of items HRC appears unwilling to promptly disclose, including her tax returns (the campaign has said they'll make them public on or before April 15) and White House scheds.
"She’s been a habitual nondiscloser on this and other issues," David Axelrod said during a March 5 call in which he pushed HRC to release her tax returns.
By raising the earmark issue, the campaign is suggesting that Obama is more straightforward and honest than his Dem rival. He already has a strong advantage on that point, as today's WSJ/NBC survey indicates, so why not push it harder?
Obama's release after the jump.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Obama Releases His Earmark Requests; Calls on Clinton to do the Same
Chicago, IL – Senator Barack Obama’s campaign today released his earmark requests for 2005 and 2006 and called on Senator Hillary Clinton to do the same. Last year, Obama’s Senate office released his 2007 earmark requests.
The ’05 and ’06 requests can be seen by clicking HERE. The ’07 requests are available on the official Senate website. To date, Senator Clinton has refused repeated requests to disclose her earmark requests.
“Bringing real change requires changing the way we do business in Washington,” said Obama for America Communications Director Robert Gibbs. “If Senator Clinton will not agree to join Senator Obama in releasing her earmark requests, voters should ask why she doesn’t believe they have the right to know she wants to spend their tax dollars.”
Obama believes that there has been too little transparency in Washington, and he has been a leader in reforming the earmark process so that every American can know how the government spends their tax dollars. Barack Obama teamed up with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) to pass a law that lifted the veil of secrecy in Washington by creating a Google-like search engine that allows ordinary Americans to track federal grants, contracts, earmarks and loans online. The database – known as “Google for Government” – was launched by the Office of Management and Budget in early December and is available at www.USAspending.gov. As president, Obama will give voters the tools they need to track spending so we can stop letting the special interests set the agenda in Washington.
Join the Discussion
The National Journal Group has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate.
Comments powered by Disqus