EDITORIAL: Cleaver’s Job is Not to be Fooled on Earmarks

In the past two years, most of a $2 million earmark secured by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to benefit Kansas City has instead gone to the East Coast.

The convoluted money trail, exposed Sunday in The Star, is a ripe example of what’s wrong with earmarks.

Yes, Cleaver was fooled by The PMA Group, a lobby organization now under federal investigation. But that’s no excuse. It’s his job not to be fooled, especially when using a very flawed system to toss about taxpayer money.

Read more: (Editorial, “No Reason for Misdirecting Earmarks,” Kansas City Star, 5/12/09)