Federal Budget just like those TV giveway shows

You know the ones we mean: The host mentions her favorite lipstick and confides earnestly to the audience, who absolutely did not see this coming: "And you're all getting one!" (Audience cheers.) The guest mentions his new book, CD or movie and the host turns to the audience, "And you're all getting one." (Audience cheers.) And the host brings out her "favorite" Christmas gifts, baking pan, paprika extract, sausage stuffer, pantyhose, credit card... "And you're all getting one!" (Weary audience cheers.)

Hearing about the omnibus budget bill, which included funding for 214 federal departments, is a lot like that.

Here's an analysis of just the giveaway portion, from US News and World Report:

USA Today notes congressional Democrats "with the encouragement of...Bush vowed this year to seek a 50% reduction in federal budget 'earmarks' -- projects and programs inserted into spending bills by members of Congress to benefit their states or districts." Watchdog groups "such as Taxpayers for Common Sense say the reduction is closer to 25%, once all earmarks are counted. They count 11,144, for $15.3 billion." Fox News' Special Report reported that the spending bill is "thousands of pages long, and includes at least 10,000 projects. Figuring out what to do with it is a full-time job right now at the White House. ... The White House is still poring through the huge omnibus spending bill to see what the half trillion dollars would buy." Roll Call says "more than half of 'airdropped earmarks' -- provisions that had not previously been approved in either chamber -- were targeted to districts represented either by a member of the Appropriations Committee or a Member considered vulnerable for the 2008 elections."

The mind boggles, and still the "See what I did for you!" press releases pour in. After the break, we list all the headlines on releases we received from just one Senator, between 4:30 yesterday afternoon and 8:30 this morning. (Weary audience cheers.) No doubt, they'll all be online shortly, for those of you who demand specifics. (At least no trees were killed to bring us this news; all arrived via e-mail.)

1. $1.6 MILLION FOR WISCONSIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE TRAINING INCLUDED IN FEDERAL BUDGET, KOHL ANNOUNCES

2. KOHL SECURES $310,000 TO PROTECT WISCONSIN SENIORS IN FY08 FEDERAL BUDGET
Funds Boost CWAG’s Fraud Prevention Project, Disability Rights Nursing Home Transition

3. KOHL INCLUDES $181,768 FOR RURAL WISCONSIN HEALTH COOPERATIVE IN FY08 FEDERAL BUDGET

4. $196,000 FOR RACINE’S WASHINGTON AVE REDEVELOPMENT INCLUDED IN FY’08 FEDERAL BUDGET

5. KOHL INCLUDES $500,000 FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE IN MILWAUKEE, KENOSHA, MENOMONIE

6. KOHL DIRECTS FUNDING TO WISCONSIN DENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS AS PART OF FY2008 FEDERAL BUDGET

7. KOHL SECURES $2.2 MILLION FOR WISCONSIN WILD WATERWAYS PROJECT

8. KOHL SECURES $2.2 MILLION FOR WILD RIVERS LEGACY FOREST PROJECT

9. $1.3 MILLION FOR WISCONSIN=S ICE AGE TRAIL INCLUDED IN FY08 BUDGET, KOHL ANNOUNCES
Funding will support land acquisition

10. KOHL INCLUDES FUNDING FOR WISCONSIN AGRICULTURE PROJECTS IN FY2008 FEDERAL BUDGET

11. KOHL CHAMPIONS NUTRITION PROGRAMS IN FY08 FEDERAL BUDGET

12. KOHL MAKES FOOD SAFETY A PRIORITY OF FY08 FEDERAL BUDGET

(Weary audience cheers. April 15 is a long way off.)