I understand the concept of "earmarks" very well. If Mike had any integrity he would have at least voted against the bill. You can still earmark spending even if you were fundamentally opposed to it and voted accordingly. My problem is that they take the money from you so they can redistribute it as they see fit. It usually gets used to buy support - which is what you see Mike doing above. How is any of this spending going to generate production? And yes, Mike voted FOR the stimulus bill that added another trillion dollars worth of debt onto the back of the American taxpayer. He must be a student of Zimbabwe-style economic theory. You can't spend your way into prosperity. The best thing government can do to help "stimulate" the economy would be to cut spending, eliminate useless bureaucracies, and stop shaking down the American people.