BUDGET/FEDERAL SPENDING:

SINCE PRESIDENT BUSH TOOK OFFICE in 2001, two certified Wabbits and a prospective Wabbit have received the “Porker of the Month” award from Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW). The CAGW said the award is “a dubious honor given to lawmakers, government officials and political candidates who have shown a blatant disregard for the interests of taxpayers.” In August 2001, Gephardt received the “Porker” award for “playing politics against the president’s barely-in-effect tax cut and defending the Washington waste status quo.” In January 2002, Biden shared the award with Sen. Ernest “Fritz” Hollings for “favoring bailouts for Amtrak instead of fundamental reform and privatization.” In August 2002, Lieberman received the “porker” for “his obstructionism, protection of personnel [federal workers] before the American people, playing politics with the new DHS [Department of Homeland Security], and increasing costs to taxpayers by creating a new and unwieldy bureaucracy.”