McCaul Relapses on McEarmarks

by: MeanRachel

Fri Jun 27, 2008 at 11:09 AM CDT

Back in March, shortly after the Democratic primary and when for perhaps the first time he realized that he will have some serious competition in November, Congressman Michael McCaul decided that it was time to put on the pork patch and end his addiction to earmarks.

As the Houston Chronicle reported, McCaul sponsored or co-sponsored nearly $20 million in earmarks between October 1, 2007 and March 28, 2008 alone.  The Chronicle also produced a full list of his McEarmarks, detailing the breakdown of the projects and names of the co-sponsors (fellow addicts like Congressmen Culberson and Sessions, equally-vulnerable Republican incumbents who will have some 'splaining to do in the fall).  At the time, while also making it clear that he would not seek earmarks if elected in November, Democratic challenger Larry Joe Doherty told the Chronicle, "Michael McCaul has gone into rehab over earmark addiction."

Now, like most recovering addicts, McCaul is out of rehab and has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

As the Chronicle's Texas on the Potomac reported on June 13th:

Earlier this year Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, announced he was swearing off earmarks, those pet projects inserted into spending bills by lawmakers.

So it was surprising to see McCaul's name attached to a $5 million earmark in a defense authorization bill recently approved by the House.

The earmark, co-sponsored with Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, is for Applied Physical Electronics of Spicewood, which intends to use it fund research at the University of Texas to detect explosives.

McCaul spokesman Mike Rosen explained that McCaul had requested the earmark before he made the decision in March to end sponsorship of these special projects. After he found out that the earmark had been included in the bill, McCaul, whose district includes parts of Harris County, entered language into the House record on May 20 asking that his sponsorship of the project be dropped.

``Madam Speaker, I wish to have my name disassociated with the following project,'' he said referring to the $5 million defense earmark. Rosen said that he expects that McCaul's name will not appear as sponsor when the final version of the defense authorization legislation is hammered out between House and Senate.