Pentagon's unwanted projects in earmarks

Democratic lawmakers added an estimated $524 million in defense earmarks that the Pentagon did not request to the 2008 appropriations bill, about $220 million more than Republicans did. William Hartung of the Ploughshares-funded New America Foundation commented, "A lot of these weapon systems that are big-ticket items now have no purpose." The problem, he added, is that the defense industry, with offices or subcontractors in key congressional districts, plays the political game extremely well.