Pop quiz: who was in charge of government during this pork explosion?

Number of Pork Projects in Federal Spending Bills

2005 - 13,997
2004 - 10,656
2003 - 9,362
2002 - 8,341
2001 - 6,333
2000 - 4,326
1999 - 2,838
1998 - 2100
1997 - 1,596
1996 - 958
1995 – 1439

In 2004, we had $895 billion in discretionary spending, including $454 billion in defense spending. That means that we had $441 billion in non-defense discretionary spending.

Our budget deficit in 2004 was $412 billion.

So without raising revenues, our nation would literally have to eliminate the entire defense department (which ain't gonna happen) or its entire non-defense discretionary spending to simply balance the budget. That's not including the $4.3 TRILLION in debt we current hold and should really be trying to pay off.

I'm a strong proponent of a fiscally responsible country, and the Senate votes on the Coburn Amendment yesterday told me that Democrats still have a ways to go before they can truly be considered the party of fiscal responsibility (may the gods bless Feingold, Bayh, and Conrad for being the only Democrats with the cojones to vote against egregious pork).

Full post @ daily kos