On ABC’s Good Morning America, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) explained his recent trip to Colombia by noting his concern over “the continued flow of drugs from Colombia through Mexico into the United States.” “Drugs is a big, big problem in America,” said McCain. Watch it:
But as Politico’s Avi Zenilman points out, McCain’s dedication to fighting the “continued flow of drugs from Colombia” creates a “sticky problem” with his pledge to end earmarks as president.
The McCain campaign has previously pointed to the Congressional Research Service’s (CRS) definition of earmarks when explaining how it would cut $65 billion in earmarks from the federal budget. But as Center for American Progress Action Fund Senior Fellow Scott Lilly pointed out in April, CRS’s definition includes some foreign aid to countries like Israel and Colombia:
The answer is that there is very little that CRS counts as earmarks above and beyond those found by OMB or Taxpayers for Common Sense that McCain would want to be associated with cutting. Assistance for Israel is only the most obvious example. It is doubtful that McCain would choose to start his presidency by terminating drug eradication funds for Colombia, the long standing assistance program to Egypt and Jordan, or humanitarian aid to Haiti.
When pressed by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos about how his budget plans suggest he would cut aid for Israel, McCain said “Of course not. I’m not cutting aid to Israel.”
Is his position the same for Colombia’s drug eradication funds? If so, this is just another example of how McCain’s budget proposals are a “fantasy war on earmarks.”

good one, matt!
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:47 pmBe careful, McDepends; you may need to get some of those drugs to offset your pain and humiliation in November. Don’t cut off your nose to spite your arse!
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:48 pmMy friends,
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:53 pmAs an older American I use & need drugs. That’s why I went to Columbia. Most people go to Canada & Mexico, but I’m married to a really, really rich woman, & I can go to Columbia for my drugs.
Grampy McSame says - My friends back in the day we hated pork, it would give you worms, so we avoided it, but then I found that I liked pork, lots of it, but I hated everyone else’s pork, if they have pork then my pork isn’t special, so I have to get rid of everyone else’s pork, then there’s pork rinds, those are delicious, all crunchy, yum, I sometimes roll Cindy in a rubber sheet covered in pork rinds, she is usually heavily sedated so what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, but if you have pork, then I’m against it, only I should have pork, or so my 140 lobbyist advisors say….uh, oh, I hope that is warm pork and beans I just sat in.
Yeah, yeah, we know grampy, you’re for it, then not, then for it, then not..rinse and repeat.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:55 pmNicky Says:
Another Colombia thread. Think Progress hates Colombia
Trajan, you really are the stupidest troll. Congratulations.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:56 pmNicky:
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:02 pmDidn’t I already tell you the pretend tough guy thing is just plain lame.
Meanwhile at that other lame site, still no comments. Damn I find the lame to be well just… lame
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:03 pmNicky Says:
I have fowarded these anti-Colombian stories to my relatives. A few of whom are involved politically here. If Think Progress keeps this up, they will organize a campaign against Think Progress in the Latin Community.
The Anti-Latin bias of Think Progress is clear to see.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:59 pm Recommend (0) | Report Abuse
Unfortunelly for you, not all latins are far rightist cubans.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:03 pmSo he gets rid of earmarks, except the necessities, big deal.
what does obama say about earmarks.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:04 pmrozerze Says:
So he gets rid of earmarks, except the necessities, big deal.
rog, all earmarks are “necessities” to the people that want them. It’s a big deal because McCain claims to be against the entire notion of earmarks and still manages to make exceptions to the rule. Lots of exceptions. If McCain wasn’t a Republic, you’d call him a hypocrite.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:07 pmLegalize all drugs now. This will destroy the power of All drug cartels around the world. Then take the money from the War on Drugs and use it to fund addiction treatment centers to keep people from destroying themselves spectacularly. The people who’ll scream about this the loudest are those who are making the most money of the current insanity in the War on Drugs.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:08 pmImpeach Peolsi, Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution!
“Drugs is a big, big problem in America,..”
I would submit that a big, big problem in America are McPain’s inability to speak and/or understand the structure of the English language.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:08 pmNicky Says:
gummitch,
You are a racist Anglo and an idiot. Think Progress is mad their Leftist allies are getting their butts kicked by Uribe.
I repeat: the stupidest troll. The only real racist in the thread is you, Trajan, with your fantasy tough guy routine and your imaginary relatives.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:09 pmDidn’t McCain jawbone Uribe about human rights and all those labor leaders murders?
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:11 pm>A Colombian neck tie would be fitting!
turn off rocky III, put down the tamale, and stop having sex with your sister, you mongrel..
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:12 pmEh, that senile old barstid lies like a rug.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:12 pmQuit playing with trajun/nicky and flag the idiot.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:13 pmSo little white guy afraid of the black guy,
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:13 pmAbout that torture thing?
Nicky Says:
——————————————————————————–
dbadass,
What Hugo Cavez’s killing of opposition leaders in Venezuela why no mentionof that?
Again you know nothing about Colombian politics. Those “labor Leaders” were colloborators with the FARC. They got what they deserved.
—
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:14 pmMaybe you might ask Mr. McCain. My guess he will reply that he was in Columbia and not Venezuela. I could be wrong but that is my guess…
Jebus, Nicky, ya crazy barstid — wipe all that foam off your mouth, fer chrissake!! Think of your blood pressure!
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:16 pmXXX:
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:16 pmNot that you don’t really already know but might you be kind enough to tell me whether or not torture is an effective way to gain reliable information say maybe from a combatant?
Wayne Says:
Quit playing with trajun/nicky and flag the idiot.
Flagged everyone of his posts, and XXX’s also.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:16 pmBuckie Boy Says:
Flagged everyone of his posts, and XXX’s also.
Cool, thanks Buckie.
Bye,bye nicky….
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:19 pmThanks XXX:
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:19 pmSo does it follow that Mr McCain’s torture induced confessional was truthful? You can’t really have it both ways now can you?
didn’t Sun Tzu have somethings to say about engaging ones enemies…
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:20 pmIf he cuts all earmarks, thats bad policy, and if he leaves the good, its a contradiction.Tp would only be happy if he hadn’t pledged to get rid of waste spending at all.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:21 pmAbu Ben Hussein Leporello Says:
“Legalize all drugs now.”
Ubu Ben,
I totally agree with your point but it will never happen because of the impact on the economy and the power of the politicians. If you look at the broad infrastructure of the “Drug Use Problem,” considering both sides of the dichotomy you will find that legalizing drugs will totally and absolutely destroy the anti-drug enforcement/prosecution/punishment/rehabilitation establishment and our economy. Good-bye Federal, State, and Local law enforcement jobs and BUDGET! Good-bye Judges, and lawyers for both sides. Good-bye prisons, jails, and guard jobs. Good-bye social workers, parole officers, shrinks and other do-gooder-hangers-on. Good-bye taxes. Good-bye crooked politicians. Good-bye jobs. These are jobs that cannot be sent out of the country without sending out the drug users. Everybody has to do something! Long live the druggies!
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:23 pmSo since the “freedom haters” are such a scary maniacal force they too would be innume? What a bunch of total bullshit!
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:23 pmWell, that didn’t take long, good riddance to bad rubbish.
I never respond to Nicky, too much of a subhuman, low life to bother with, just flag him, he always posts racist crap, he reminds me of “Joker” wonder if it is the same one, must be, not many people can be that stupid.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:24 pmSorry for this off topic stuff but I have been trying to get this solved for two days. Now XXX since McCain caved would you say he is just weak or was he poorly trained?
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:24 pmI haven’t had any fine columbian gold in awhile. I think I’ll shoot an email to McBu$h to see if he’s holding.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:25 pmXXX - Flagged, again
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:27 pmXXX Says:
——————————————————————————–
Obama is the the Magic Negro.
– What the hell does this have to do with anything. Wanna get back to Mr McCains confessional or perhaps the topic?
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:28 pmXXX(my name out so the big black scary gay man won’t know me) Says:
Obama is the the Magic Negro.
NOPE!
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:29 pmPeople, when replying to flagged trolls, please don’t include the original idiotic message. It kinda defeats the purpose of the flagging.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:29 pmXXX Says:
You learn in the military how to endure torture and not to cave to its process.
Not everyone in the military goes through that training and it deals with more than resisting torture, but can you even name the training?
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:29 pmWhats it called?
flagging the hell out of XXX/MrPee now
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:31 pmXXX(my name out quickly before the scary black man finds out) Says:
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:31 pmJust exposing the hypocrisy of the left one more time, if you look I called McCain a cracker earlier and nothing was said.
WRONG!
XXX
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:33 pmI am sorry. I see you are really struggling. I hate to see the weak and downtrodden overburdern so I suppose I should ease up on your lameness. As to the cracker thing, myself I was just ignoring it as it was such piss poor bait. Have you considered hiring a guide? Fishing is an acquired skill…
Buckie Boy Says:
Well, that didn’t take long, good riddance to bad rubbish.
I never respond to Nicky, too much of a subhuman, low life to bother with, just flag him, he always posts racist crap, he reminds me of “Joker” wonder if it is the same one, must be, not many people can be that stupid.
No doubt about it, Buckie. He’s even admitted it.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:47 pmThird time’s the charm eh weirdo?
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:47 pmMcCain’s promise to end Earmarks sounds a lot like “Read my lips….”
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:49 pmMcCains promise to end earmarks is a better attempt than Barack Hussein Obama’s attemt to use only public funding for his campaign. At least McCain will stick to his promise. Just to let you know Foriegn Aid is not an “earmark”. Earmarks are the Demacrats way of taking care of Republicans in the 80’s who stopped them from spending $500.00 on a damn toilet seat through military appropriations. With earmarks all they have to do is just add it into a bill that has already been passed and give it to thier Lobbiests.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:13 am