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Mr. Smith is Dead: No One Stands in the Way as Congress Laces Post-Sept. 11 Defense Bills with Pork
Mr Smith is Dead No One Stands in the Way as Congress Laces PostSept 11 Defense Bills with Pork Author:Winslow T. Wheeler The U.S. Congress has long been synonymous with pork-barrel politics, in which special treats for constituents are tucked into spending bills purporting to support lofty national purposes. Bringing home the bacon is a time-honored tradition that many observers and participants not only tolerate but celebrate. After all, representing constituent ... more »interests, even narrow local interests, is essential to a healthy demoncracy. Up to a point. The line is crossed when the narrow interests of constituents and their legislators siphon off resources needed for critical national programs. In this volume, a strong case is presented that pork-barrel politics has become so excessive that Congress is undercutting national security, short-changing good programs, and leaving our citizens and our troops more vulnerable than they have to be. The argument, by a seasoned and respected insider, backed up by vulominous evidence gathered through firsthand observation and careful documentation, is tantamount to an indictment of contemporary congressional politics. The elevation of congressional self-promotion and narrow constituent interest over essential defense and anti-terrorism funding is literally putting lives in jeopardy.« less