Businesses see benefit of earmarks at troops’ expense

A report by Christine Willmsen and David Heath of The Seattle Times shows that $7.6 million worth of earmarks pushed through by prominent members of Congress — including senators Hillary Rodham Clinton, Charles Schumer and Alren Specter —  have kept troops equipped with an inferior chemical-warfare protection product.  “Clinton, who is poised to become secretary of state, received nearly $7,000 in campaign donations from the beneficiaries of these earmarks in recent years. Specter got more than $47,000.”