Robert P. Casey Jr.

January 14, 2008

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

By Steve Goldstein

WASHINGTON - Bob Casey is a quick study.

Pennsylvania's Democratic senator led all 10 Senate freshmen in bringing home the bacon in 2007. An analysis of special-interest spending, or earmarks, by a Washington watchdog group revealed that Casey was a sponsor of $16.6 million in earmarked projects for the state.

Whether political pork or prudent projects, the federal largesse is regarded by Casey, the first Pennsylvania Democrat elected to a full Senate term in 44 years, as his signal achievement in his first year.

"I think it's a good thing . . . because of the ethics reforms we have," said Casey, referring to requirements intended to make awarding earmarks more transparent.

During an interview last week, the senator bridled at criticism that he has been too quiet, too under the radar, not outspoken enough on major issues, including foreign-policy challenges and the recent assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan.

"For some pundits, outspoken equals loud, obnoxious and very good at sound bites, not substance," Casey said. "That ain't me, babe. Never will be."

Casey's Dylanesque demurral cited speeches in which he outlined a Iran policy and a specific strategy for handling the threat of nuclear terrorism.

Casey's debut year was also marked by his successful addition of key amendments to the farm bill, which benefited the dairy industry and specialty-crop growers.

He also tacked on a provision to ethics-reform legislation that makes it a federal crime to use political affiliation in hiring decisions by lobbying groups and trade associations. During his election campaign, Casey faulted his predecessor, Rick Santorum, for embracing that practice, which was known as the K Street Project.

Weighing against these achievements, Casey's efforts to help renew and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program - one of his main priorities - were rebuffed by a series of presidential vetoes.

"That's frustrating, but it's going to get done," Casey said in an interview of the SCHIP legislation. "There's one person who stands in the way of 10 million kids getting health-care coverage, and it's President Bush.

"This doesn't mean we're not going to push hard in 2008, but I think it's now a question for the next president," he added.

Christopher Borick, a political scientist and pollster at Muhlenberg College, said Casey had performed as advertised.

"I think Pennsylvanians are satisfied with him being a low-profile worker rather than a high-profile lightning rod," Borick said. "He hasn't established himself as a leader in the Senate, but how many first-term senators have?"

State AFL-CIO president Bill George, who campaigned for the statewide Democratic ticket in 2006, said Casey visited more work places in the state in one year than Santorum did in two terms in the Senate.

"Bob Casey represents change, and the old get-along boys are coming to an end," George said.

Yet Casey did inherit a pedigree of Pennsylvania politicians adept at directing federal spending to the state.

"Being the number-one freshman in terms of bringing dollars back to Pennsylvania is a huge achievement," Casey asserted.

Casey explained that before earmark reforms that took effect in 2007, the sponsoring lawmaker could be hidden, and "in the dark of night. you'd get money attached to projects, with no scrutiny."

Now, Casey said, "if a project is worthy of funding, it has to stand up to scrutiny, and the member has to subject himself to questioning. So a lot of sunlight's been brought in, in addition to the dollars."

Asked whether all the earmarks were vetted, Casey replied that "sometimes it's in the eye of the beholder, but I think we've subjected it to significant scrutiny. But that's ultimately for the public to decide."

Casey said he hired someone to help his staff navigate the appropriations process and vet the projects that clamor for funding. As a former Pennsylvania auditor general and treasurer, Casey said, his job was to review how public money is spent.

"Will we have a perfect batting average on that every year?" Casey said. "Maybe not, but we'll try."

Steve Ellis, vice president of the Taxpayers for Common Sense, which compiled the pork list for freshmen, said Casey was "certainly following in the Keystone State's tradition of getting pork," referring to Sen. Arlen Specter, Rep. John P. Murtha and former Rep. Bud Shuster of Altoona.

But he cautioned that "some politicians think earmarks is all they have to do, but they still have to represent their constituents."

There were at least 11,144 earmarks in the omnibus spending and defense appropriations legislation for fiscal 2008, totaling $15.3 billion.

Yet because of the new disclosure process, the number has dropped 25 percent from last year, according to Ellis.

Taxpayers for Common Sense was able to compile this information because this is the first year Congress is disclosing sponsors of all earmarks.

To put Casey's achievement in perspective, the most prolific Democratic sponsor of earmarks in the Senate last year was West Virginia's Robert Byrd, with $429.5 million. The top Republican was Mississippi's Sen. Thad Cochran, who secured $773.6 million in earmarks.

Former Pennsylvania congressman Bob Edgar, who now heads Common Cause, the good-government and campaign-finance-reform organization, said that the Senate had become more active in earmarking in the last 20 years but that he was not surprised by Casey's quick adoption of the practice.

"I think it's business as usual," Edgar said. "It may just be self-preservation on Bob Casey's part. Members of Congress start running for re-election almost as soon as they are elected."

Said Christopher Borick: "Pennsylvania politics is very pragmatic.

"When Pennsylvanians look at what he's doing for the state - that's an expectation," Borick said. "Even if it raises the ire of watchdog groups."