Is your senator a friend or foe of earmark reform?

Lots of Washington politicians talk a good case about eliminating wasteful federal spending but how many of them actually vote for needed reforms? The Examiner Newspapers/Porkbusters.org Earmark Reform Index shows who in the U.S. Senate is walking the talk and who's blowing smoke hoping voters don't look too closely.

The Index brings together in one place all the data about how everybody who served in the Senate in 2005-2007 voted on 12 key opportunities to say "yes" or "no" to genuine earmark reforms when the Senate clerk called their names. The Examiner and Porkbusters consulted knowledgeable Senate insiders to insure that each of these votes represented a real chance to make a difference for taxpayers.

Check the data and see where your state's two senators rank (higher ratings are better). If you think they should do better, tell them. And if you live in a state that has one or a couple of senators who score highly on the Index, let them know you appreciate their efforts. Either way, let your senators know where you stand, so they'll know where they should stand the next time the Senate clerk calls their name.

See Also: The Examiner's editorial.