The Bluegrass Porker

The following howler from Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in today's Wall Street Journal is worth calling out:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) in a statement Monday supported the idea of using federal spending to boost the economy. But he warned that the price tag, which could approach $800 billion over two years, shouldn't become an excuse for funding undeserving projects. "We should have a simple test: Will the yet-unwritten, reportedly trillion-dollar spending bill really create jobs and grow the economy -- or will it simply create more government spending, more bureaucrats and deeper deficits?" Mr. McConnell said.

Didn't the Republican Senator from Kentucky, along with his Republican congressional colleagues and Republican president, oversee the largest federal spending binge in decades?

If history is any guide, it's a good bet that Sen. McConnell thinks "creating jobs" means funneling taxpayer pork to the state of Kentucky. Back in October, when he was struggling for reelection, the Washington Post reported that "McConnell boasts of the projects he has brought to Kentucky -- a total of $500 million for the state last year, he said last week. He lists every project he has brought to every town he visits, and argues that Lunsford couldn't do the same."

Apparently it's perfectly acceptable to "create more government spending, more bureaucrats and deeper deficits" when Sen. McConnell and his party are running the show.

(For a list of Sen. McConnell's recent pork grabbing, which totals $195 million, check out the Citizens Against Government Waste's 2008 Pig Book by clicking here and selecting his name from the pull-down menu.)