So McCain has started hammering away at two target the GOP base will love, A) Hillary Clinton and B) earmarks. Friends of McCain note:
“Presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has secured more earmarks in the fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill than any other Democrat except for panel Chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.).” (Roxana Tiron and Ilan Wurman, “Clinton Can Boast Wealth Of Earmarks,” The Hill, 6/13/07)
“The Bill Contains About $5.4 Billion In Earmarks, Or Projects Not Requested By The Pentagon. … Clinton Received 26 Earmarks Worth About $148.4 Million Total …” (Roxana Tiron and Ilan Wurman, “Clinton Can Boast Wealth Of Earmarks,” The Hill, 6/13/07)
· $6 million for Northrop Grumman (AN/SPQ-9B radar.)
· $5 million for Telephonics (aircraft wireless intercom system for National Guard Black Hawks.)
· $3.5 million for Alliant Tech Systems (X-51B scramjet research.)
· $3 million for Plug Power Inc. (fuel cell power technology.)
· $2 million for blast trauma detection research.
Couple this with Harry Reid (17 earmarks worth $72.1 million) calling Peter Pace “incompetent” (over what, Harry?), and there’s an effective line of attack on the opposition not being serious about America’s defense…