By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 53 minutes ago

FAIRFAX, Va. - Republican presidential nominee John McCain and his
running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, equated lawmakers' requests for
funding for special projects with corruption on Wednesday even though
Palin herself has requested nearly $200 million in so-called "earmarks"
this year.


Campaigning in Virginia, McCain suggested earmarks are particularly
shameful at a time when families are struggling with rising food, gas
and home mortgage costs. He vowed again to veto any bill that contains
such funding.

"I got an old ink pen, my friends, and the first pork barrel-laden
earmark, big-spending bill that comes across my desk, I will veto it.
You will know their names. I will make them famous and we'll stop this
corruption," McCain said during a rally at a park in suburban
Washington, D.C.

Palin has sought $197 million worth of earmarks for 2009, down about 25
percent from the $256 million she sought in the 2008 budget year. As
mayor of tiny Wasilla, Alaska, she hired a lobbyist to seek federal
money for special projects. Wasilla obtained 14 earmarks, totaling $27
million, between 2000-2003, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama hasn't asked for any
earmarks this year. The Illinois senator sought $311 million in such
funding last year. McCain, an Arizona senator, doesn't seek earmarks for
his state.

Undaunted by his running mate's ties to earmarks, McCain said: "I've
fought corruption, and it didn't matter if it was Democrats or
Republican, and so has Sarah Palin."

Palin said she has "championed earmark reform" as governor and "reformed
the abuses of earmarks in our state." Now, she said, she is ready to
join McCain in Washington "so we can end the corrupt practice of abusive
earmarks after all."

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The Mavericks...same old **** in a lipsticked wrapper.