Just out from the NYT

Religious Groups Granted Millions for Pet Projects

(snip)

A New York Times analysis shows that the number of earmarks for religious organizations, while small compared with the overall number, have increased sharply in recent years. From 1989 to January 2007, Congress approved almost 900 earmarks for religious groups, totaling more than $318 million, with more than half of them granted in the Congressional session that included the 2004 presidential election. By contrast, the same analysis showed fewer than 60 earmarks for faith-based groups in the Congressional session that covered 1997 and 1998.

First, let me say that in the earlier paragraph, Jack Murtha was called out as to inserting earmarks for St Vincents College. I don't know if what he did was wrong, but I don't want to act like I'm ignoring it. That wasn't the thrust of the article to me.

The main point to me was that the FREAKIN' New York Times was JUST discovering this? I can't even tell you the times I've read about all the slush money being diverted to "Faith Based Initiatives" that were murky, let alone earmarks of this type.

At least, maybe now, something will get done about it. Maybe.