Principle v. Pork

That Congressman Bart Gordon is quoted in The Tennessean as committing to bring more federal pork spending into the state is not surprising, since most congressmen appear to view election as a mandate to engage in a scavenger hunt to bring home taxpayer money. However, it is inconsistent with the letter that Gordon sent me prior to the election in which he stated that the earmark and ethics reform plan that he had voted for was an improvement, but that it fell short of what is needed in order to reign in the practice. He pledged to push for stronger measures. Of course, Gordon sent that letter because I had written asking about his support for earmark reform.

Ultimately, most congressmen, both Democratic and Republican, believe they gain more by raiding taxpayer coffers for the supposed benefit of their districts than they do by standing on principle. That is the reason that the most deep rooted problems in Washington are not limited to one party or the other; they are problems prevalent in the political class as a whole.