Double Standard?

Wednesday's Biased Item - January 6, 2010

Directions

-Read the excerpt below from the December 14th "Best of the Web" post by OpinionJournal.com's editor James Taranto.
-Read "Types of Media Bias" in the right column. Then answer the questions.

Question(s)

1.  Do you think the AP displays a double standard by using the term "back-home projects" rather than "earmarks" or "pork" now that Democrats control congress?

2.  Ask a parent if Mr. Taranto makes a legitimate point about reporting on earmarks.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the answer(s).

Excerpt

See if you can spot the new euphemism* in this Associated Press report on the new $1.1 trillion budget bill (yes, that's trillion with 1,000 B's):

The measure combines $447 billion in operating budgets with about $650 billion in mandatory payments for federal benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. It wraps together six individual spending bills and also contains more than 5,000 back-home projects sought by lawmakers in both parties.

Seems to us that back when the Republicans controlled Congress, "back-home projects" were called "earmarks"** or "pork."

Read the original post at opinionjournal.com. (Scroll halfway down the page.)

*euphemism - the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant

**earmarks - Pork-barrel, or ear-mark spending is a process by which congressmen add expenses for special projects onto important legislation that have nothing to do with the legislation to earn favor from voters in their states. Adding the expenses onto legislation that needs to get passed ensures that it will pass through Congress easily. The added expenses are used for special projects for Members of Congress to distribute to their constituents back home as an act of largesse, courtesy of the federal taxpayer.
























Answer(s)

1.  Opinion question.  Answers vary.

2.  Answers vary.