A statement from Sen. Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican, about groups that hold members of Congress accountable for millions of dollars in special-interest spending, known as “earmarks.”
“I'm getting damn tired of hearing from them. They have been nothing but trouble ever since Katrina.”
A statement from Rep. Harold Ford, a Tennessee Democrat:
“First, institute a ‘stand by your earmark’ rule. If a member of Congress wants to insert an earmark into a bill at the final stage of the legislative process, he should be forced to sign his name to the provision and explain why it is in the interests of the nation as a whole.”
Now, which political party, Republican or Democrat, sounds more fiscally responsible? You must decide—come November.