58 Quotes by Keith Ashdown

The other reason you see Murtha get so much is because Young does not ask for very much.

The fact is, there are not the checks and balances to make sure the money is spent well.

We used to think that Mr. Lewis would be a champion for smart spending. But he brought us the biggest increase in defense earmarking in history.

The only issue will be how is Congress going to react.

Senators are betting that pandering to the public with billions in election-year promises will pay off more than they lose by cutting the fiscal conservatives in their own party off at the knees.

Most other lobbyists would give up their second lung to get that kind of access. It's not always illegal, but it's definitely a strategy of influence that's unparalleled.

One of the challenges of defense earmarks -- when you get initial bill 3 or 4 percent has a location tied to the earmark, then look at 535 releases and triangulate to figure out where the money is going.

If they're telling everybody to tighten their belts and they're leasing these luxury cars, it just doesn't fly in Peoria.

I have better things to do than hunting around for where the money is hidden, ... We would rather the government be doing this, creating a one-stop shop. Is that really too much to ask?