Stupak-11 Pro-Lifers Ask $4.7 Billion in Earmarks Day After Yea Vote for Health care

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) and his 10 pro-life (not) co-horts put in their requests for $4.7 billion in earmarks the day after they switched their health care vote to 'yea.' Talk about buying the vote - but no surprise, ACORN's own attorney and teacher is sitting in the Oval Office:

Stupak's opponent - Republican Dr. Dan Benishek for Congress

From the Sunlight Foundation:

A day after Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., and ten other House members compromised on their pro-life position to deliver the necessary yes-votes to pass health care reform, the "Stupak 11" released their fiscal year 2011 earmark requests, which total more than $4.7 billion--an average of $429 million worth of earmark requests for each lawmaker.

Of the eight lawmakers whose 2010 requests were available for comparison, five requested more money this week than they did a year ago: Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, D-Pa., Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind., Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, and Rep. Charles Wilson, D-Ohio.

The eleven members were the focus of high level pressure by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats because they threatened to vote against the health care reform bill, which passed the House on Sunday, March 21, by a seven vote margin. Granting earmark requests are one of the ways leadership can encourage members to vote their way.

Stupak requested more than $578 million in earmarks, including $125 million for a replacement lock on the Sault Ste. Marie, $25.6 million to build a federal courthouse in Marquette, Mich., $15 million to repaint the Mackinac Bridge and $800,000 to preserve the Quincy Mining Company smelter near Hancock in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The Stupak earmarks in the above paragraph apparently do not include the $726,409 he received for airports in his district two days before his vote supporting the health care legislation. Find Dr. Dan Benishek's, Stupak's Republican opponent in November elections, here, here and here. Mark Levin interviews Benishek here. Hot Air talks about Benishek here. More on Stupak at The Daily Caller.

Linked by Storm'n Norm'n - Thank you Norm!