Moran can't even do earmarks right

My (mis)representative in the House, Jim Moran (D (of course)-VA) was mentioned in an article by Radley Balko in Reason for loading up a Defense bill with millions of dollars worth of earmarks. (H/t to Glenn Reynolds.) Of course, earkmarks and pork irk me, but what irks me even more is that Moran has nothing to show for all of this other than the furtherance of his own career. I've spent most of the past 14 years in Arlington, and I can't think of a major, federally funded public works project in my district during that time.

Some of my politically formative years were spent in Southwestern Pennsylvania in the early 90s watching hacks like Joe Kolter and Austin Murphy (both D's, of course) up close. These guys were buffoons who didn't know jack about any of the major issues of the day, but they at least had something to show for their efforts at directing pork to their districts. Kolter and Murphy both played big roles in a major road construction projects, including the opening of one of the sweetest 20-mile stretches of 6-lane highway in the country. Part of the road had a small toll, and consequently hardly a soul used it. I lived near the south end of the new highway, and a young lady I was dating at the time lived near the north end, about 25 miles away. For fear that my wife may being reading this blog, I'll just say that this particular young lady had some attributes that were rather appealing to a young man in his early 20s (or a middle-aged man in his early 40s for that matter), among them a penchant for Kentucky bourbon. For the better part of a year, I made that road my own personal autobahn. I'd say a prayer of thanks for Murphy and Kolter every time I pulled into the parking lot of my girlfriend's apartment complex 20 minutes or so after I left the late shift at work.

Now, I curse that bastard Moran every time I get stuck on I-66 with our three-year-old in the backseat crying because she has a load of pooh in her pants.