This just in!

Courtesy Gateway Pundit, we learn that Democratic Con-gressional representatives (and remember, Con-gress is the opposite of Pro-gress) have proposed a $410 billion ($410,000,000,000) funding bill to allow the Federal Government to continue to operate through the rest of Fuiscal Year 2009.

Not astonishingly, it is reportedly loaded with nine thousand (9000) earmarks.

Michelle Malkin reports that

Hill staffer Tom Jones is going through the omnibus spending bill with a fine-tooth comb, and Twittering his earmark findings, including:

* $200,000 for “Tattoo Removal Violence Prevention Outreach Program,” pg. 283;

* Maine lobster earmark in the omnibus, pg. 173;

* $5.8 million earmark for the “Ted Kennedy Institute for the Senate…for the planning and design of a building & an endowment,” pg. 232;

* and National Council of La Raza, $473,000 earmark from Sens. Bingaman and Menendez, pg. 212.

Not sure who "Hill Staffer Tom Jones" works for, but I hope it's a Republican budget hawk...

Astonishingly, even the Associated Press is reporting this.

WASHINGTON – House Democrats unveiled a $410 billion spending bill on Monday to keep the government running through the end of the fiscal year, setting up the second political struggle over federal funds in less than a month with Republicans.

The measure includes thousands of earmarks, the pet projects favored by lawmakers but often criticized by the public in opinion polls. There was no official total of the bill's earmarks, which accounted for at least $3.8 billion.

The legislation, which includes an increase of roughly 8 percent over spending in the last fiscal year, is expected to clear the House later in the week.

Democrats defended the spending increases, saying they were needed to make up for cuts enacted in recent years or proposed a year ago by then-President George W. Bush in health, education, energy and other programs.

I love it. "...(N)eeded to make up for cuts enacted in recent years..." In other words, you want to spend money to make up fo rmoney you didn;'t spend when you awrere already in control of Con-gress.

But wait! There's more! "... (M)ake up for cuts ... proposed a year ago..." You want to make up for spending that wasn't cut in the first place, but the previous President wanted to cut it! Brilliant!

Now, it must be noted that, prior to the end of FY2008, only three governmental budgets were passed: Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs. The Democrat-controlled Con-gress wanted to lard the rest of the budget down with pork, and President Bush was threatening to veto any excessive spending--now, there's a concept!--so all the rest of the .gov oculd get was a temporary budget, a "continuing resolution." Set to expire in March, the end of next week, in fact. So this is needed. Although the Republicans are said to be wanting another ocntinuing resolution so as to have time to ensure that the rest of the budget is fiscally sound. (Another brilliant concept!)

The Democrats, however, seem to feel that, since they control the printing presses, wotthehell?