Senate Bailout Bill Looking Like A Porkfest

Treasury Sec.Paulson’s bailout package started out as a three page document, by the time the House of Representatives was finished with it, it had grown to 106 pages.  Now, we have the Senate version, all 451 pages.  What began as an emergency measure to save the economy has now transformed into the usual pandering porkfest that Washington thrives on.

From Michelle Malkin, a few of the earmarks stuffed in the bill:

– Film and Television Productions (Sec. 502)
- Wooden Arrows designed for use by children (Sec. 503)
- 6 page package of earmarks for litigants in the 1989 Exxon Valdez incident, Alaska (Sec. 504)
Tax earmark “extenders” in the bailout bill.
- Virgin Island and Puerto Rican Rum (Section 308)
- American Samoa (Sec. 309)
- Mine Rescue Teams (Sec. 310)
- Mine Safety Equipment (Sec. 311)
- Domestic Production Activities in Puerto Rico (Sec. 312)
- Indian Tribes (Sec. 314, 315)
- Railroads (Sec. 316)
- Auto Racing Tracks (317)
- District of Columbia (Sec. 322)
- Wool Research (Sec. 325)

Read the Bill text here 

In a move to make passage easier, Senate leadership has added this as an amendment to a bill containing some legislation sought by both liberals and conservatives, making it difficult to oppose from any direction. 

A typical move in order to pass legislation that would unlikely pass on its own merits.  It will be very interesting to see how this is handled when it reaches the House.