You probably weren’t aware, but Friday was a big day on Capitol Hill, even though Members rushed out of town on the eve of the April recess.  But the filing deadline for Member earmark requests was upon them, or so they thought.  Last year the Appropriations Committee extended the deadline (A Quiet Recess? 3/20/2008) because of an overload of requests, and this year didn’t disappoint.  On Friday evening, Anne Schroeder Mullins from Politico posted a blog titled “There are so many earmarks in the House that…”
 
Here is an excerpt:

“Who says Members are opposed to earmarks? We hear that the earmark computer in the Appropriations Committee - the earmark database member request system, to be exact -- broke down today. Again. This after it was revamped after last year's overwhelming earmarking.”
 

That’s right, there were so many earmark requests that the computer that stores all of the information broke down…AGAIN!  So the Appropriations Committee, for the second year in a row, extended the filing deadline.
 
Earmarks are a corrupting and abusive practice in Congress. You’d think that the ear markers would get the message, it’s not just the American people protesting the pork, it’s their office equipment now too!