The Most Honest, Open Congress in History

CNN asked all 435 US House members for a list of their "earmark" requests for the upcoming FY2008 budget. The dismal results:

Staffers for only 31 of the 435 members of the House contacted by CNN between Wednesday and Friday of last week supplied a list of their earmark requests for fiscal year 2008, which begins on October 1, or pointed callers to Web sites where those earmark requests were posted.

Of the remainder, 68 declined to provide CNN with a list, and 329 either didn't respond to requests or said they would get back to us, and didn't.

CNN has an easy form with pulldowns so you can find out how your Congresscritter reacted to CNN's query. For example, I can tell you that both New Hampshire's newly-elected House members, Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes, stonewalled on CNN's query, failing to provide a response. Tsk! On the job barely six months, already arrogant and secretive!