Inside the Beltway

You never know

What with the president’s highly secretive visit to Iraq on Thanksgiving Day, who can blame reporters standing guard over the vacationing George W. Bush in Crawford, Texas, for not trusting the White House scheduler.

Take this week, when a reporter posted in the otherwise sleepy Texas town asked White House spokesman Trent Duffy: “Could you confirm or knock down reports out of the Middle East that the president may go to Libya next year?”

Mr. Duffy: “I don’t have any updates on the president’s schedule at this time.”

Reporter: “Can you assure us he’s not going this week, though?”

Mr. Duffy: “I don’t have any updates on the president’s schedule.”

Reporter: “That was a joke.”

Nonfiction

Citing yet another eye-opening reason for the Senate to reject the omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal 2004 — hoping to force congressional appropriators to strip out “thousands and thousands” of pork-barrel projects — Rep. Jeff Flake, Arizona Republican, draws attention to this week’s earmark: $100,000 for the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tenn.

Lots of stories

The Republican Study Committee’s Money Monitor keeps track of how Washington spends your money. And is Washington ever on a spending spree this year compared with last.

Here’s year-to-date totals of net one-year costs of House-passed appropriations:

Story Continues →