• Obama to Kneel Before Shrine of Chamberlain? http://tinyurl.com/m6x95k #
• Twitter Updates for 2009-07-05 http://tinyurl.com/mkajpu #
• Phrase of the Day http://tinyurl.com/mlzp53 #
• Obama May Ignore Constitution, Rule by Decree http://tinyurl.com/ov43t3 #
• Reid Will be Beaten by Whomever the GOP Nominates http://tinyurl.com/pno3ro #
• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-07-05 http://tinyurl.com/p9v37j #
• Honduras Remains Defiant http://tinyurl.com/otmey4 #

• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-06-28 http://tinyurl.com/nkzvbf #
• I Want a Divorce http://tinyurl.com/nv46ca #
• Twitter Updates for 2009-06-28 http://tinyurl.com/knhe48 #
• On a Shoestring, Part III http://tinyurl.com/n6zopm #
• Obama’s Chance to Bring Real Foreign Policy Change http://tinyurl.com/mcekb7 #
• Phrase of the Day http://tinyurl.com/lffsmh #
• As the Wheels Start to Come Off the Obama Express http://tinyurl.com/nsonmu #
• Obama Sides With Castro, Chavez on Honduras http://tinyurl.com/n6ly2y #
• Sotomayor: Unfit for the Supreme Court http://tinyurl.com/nbr4lx #
• Twitter Updates for 2009-06-29 http://tinyurl.com/kvhxa8 #
• Hungarians Smarter Than Obama http://tinyurl.com/nq6jaq #
• China: The “Other Shoe” Waiting to Drop http://tinyurl.com/nxrlx7 #
• Having a “Stay-cation” This Year? http://tinyurl.com/lp9kle #
• Phrase of the Day http://tinyurl.com/kvbdap #
• Going After the “Cap and Tr8tors” http://tinyurl.com/n3wrvq #
• Another election stolen for a Democrat… #
• @suziejoh and we have to wait 6 years for the MN voters to realize that the joke wasn’t funny. in reply to suziejoh #
• A Coda to the Scandal in the Church http://tinyurl.com/moshqp #
• Twitter Updates for 2009-06-30 http://tinyurl.com/n3q3l2 #
• Twitter Updates for 2009-06-30 http://tinyurl.com/loy4k8 #
• What Media Bias? Part 152 http://tinyurl.com/kp727h #
• Israeli Navy Battles Kookery on the High Seas http://tinyurl.com/lbscmg #
• Free Speech is Unfair? http://tinyurl.com/nvdqop #
• Bono’s Ode to Mary http://tinyurl.com/mk9fcw #
• Phrase of the Day http://tinyurl.com/ma3zyo #
• A Question to Ponder http://tinyurl.com/lj7czy #
• Planned Parenthood Breaks the Law, Again http://tinyurl.com/ncvquk #
• If You Wish to Study History… http://tinyurl.com/ma8puf #
• Representative Waxman (D-CA) Hospitalized http://tinyurl.com/lj63m7 #
• Obama to Hide From the American People http://tinyurl.com/mtg73y #
• Twitter Updates for 2009-07-01 http://tinyurl.com/kq2xp5 #
• Twitter Updates for 2009-07-01 http://tinyurl.com/mwo3ef #
• Is Europe Starting to “Re-Hate” America? http://tinyurl.com/qjw8ru #
• Sanford Still Hasn’t Resigned http://tinyurl.com/ma64hj #
• Sotomayor Part of Anti-Bork Group http://tinyurl.com/mv4rk6 #
• Tax and Spend Liberals Trying to Dodge the Fiscal Bullet http://tinyurl.com/maaxt7 #
• Phrase of the Day http://tinyurl.com/lx3pdg #
• Thursday Open Thread http://tinyurl.com/lgggfq #
• Taxpayer Funded Travel Jumps… http://tinyurl.com/my8s3g #
• A Blast From the Past http://tinyurl.com/nuca9q #
• Twitter Updates for 2009-07-02 http://tinyurl.com/mzvqm7 #
• Marines Head in to Harm’s Way http://tinyurl.com/nptye2 #
• 612 http://tinyurl.com/n8xyzc #
• Phrase of the Day http://tinyurl.com/md9msw #
• Endowed by Our Creator http://tinyurl.com/lhp6z7 #
• I Thought the Swine Flu Was Going to be Mild? http://tinyurl.com/m2omox #
• The Spirit of the True American http://tinyurl.com/lrju7m #
• The Need for a Clean Sweep http://tinyurl.com/llguw6 #
• Governor Palin Resigns http://tinyurl.com/may2ed #
• We Should Have Engraved This on Every Public Building http://tinyurl.com/lamjyl #
• 5,000 at a Georgia Tea Party http://tinyurl.com/kmjjug #
• IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776 http://tinyurl.com/nlhbg6 #
• Twitter Updates for 2009-07-04 http://tinyurl.com/mhsfrh #
• Bank Failures Skyrocket http://tinyurl.com/ms6d6j #
• It Profits a Man Nothing to Gain the Whole World, and Lose His Soul… http://tinyurl.com/neahty #
• Tea Party Day http://tinyurl.com/mxwvx9 #
• Obama to Kneel Before Shrine of Chamberlain? http://tinyurl.com/m6x95k #
• Twitter Updates for 2009-07-05 http://tinyurl.com/mkajpu #
• Phrase of the Day http://tinyurl.com/mlzp53 #
• Obama May Ignore Constitution, Rule by Decree http://tinyurl.com/ov43t3 #
• Reid Will be Beaten by Whomever the GOP Nominates http://tinyurl.com/pno3ro #

• Twitter Updates for 2009-07-04 http://tinyurl.com/mhsfrh #
• Bank Failures Skyrocket http://tinyurl.com/ms6d6j #
• It Profits a Man Nothing to Gain the Whole World, and Lose His Soul… http://tinyurl.com/neahty #
• Tea Party Day http://tinyurl.com/mxwvx9 #

• Twitter Updates for 2009-07-02 http://tinyurl.com/mzvqm7 #
• Marines Head in to Harm’s Way http://tinyurl.com/nptye2 #
• 612 http://tinyurl.com/n8xyzc #
• Phrase of the Day http://tinyurl.com/md9msw #
• Endowed by Our Creator http://tinyurl.com/lhp6z7 #
• I Thought the Swine Flu Was Going to be Mild? http://tinyurl.com/m2omox #
• The Spirit of the True American http://tinyurl.com/lrju7m #
• The Need for a Clean Sweep http://tinyurl.com/llguw6 #
• Governor Palin Resigns http://tinyurl.com/may2ed #
• We Should Have Engraved This on Every Public Building http://tinyurl.com/lamjyl #
• 5,000 at a Georgia Tea Party http://tinyurl.com/kmjjug #
• IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776 http://tinyurl.com/nlhbg6 #

• Twitter Updates for 2009-07-01 http://tinyurl.com/mwo3ef #
• Is Europe Starting to “Re-Hate” America? http://tinyurl.com/qjw8ru #
• Sanford Still Hasn’t Resigned http://tinyurl.com/ma64hj #
• Sotomayor Part of Anti-Bork Group http://tinyurl.com/mv4rk6 #
• Tax and Spend Liberals Trying to Dodge the Fiscal Bullet http://tinyurl.com/maaxt7 #
• Phrase of the Day http://tinyurl.com/lx3pdg #
• Thursday Open Thread http://tinyurl.com/lgggfq #
• Taxpayer Funded Travel Jumps… http://tinyurl.com/my8s3g #
• A Blast From the Past http://tinyurl.com/nuca9q #

Ahh, I can remember when Democrats raised hell about congressional travel back in 2005… Every single trip taken by Republicans was criticized. It was just the beginning of a storm that lead member of both parties scrambling to get their paperwork in order, and these junkets were largely curbed for a short while.

Back in the majority, Democrats have not only gone back to their globe-trotting ways, they are traveling at the taxpayers’ expense this time.

Spending by lawmakers on taxpayer-financed trips abroad has risen sharply in recent years, a Wall Street Journal analysis of travel records shows, involving everything from war-zone visits to trips to exotic spots such as the Galápagos Islands.

The spending on overseas travel is up almost tenfold since 1995, and has nearly tripled since 2001, according to the Journal analysis of 60,000 travel records. Hundreds of lawmakers traveled overseas in 2008 at a cost of about $13 million. That’s a 50% jump since Democrats took control of Congress two years ago.

The cost of so-called congressional delegations, known among lawmakers as “codels,” has risen nearly 70% since 2005, when an influence-peddling scandal led to a ban on travel funded by lobbyists, according to the data.

Truth be told, Republicans are taking these trips, too. But, it was these kind of trips, though funded by lobbyists and non-profits, that had Democrats either crying foul at Republicans for taking part in them, or excusing their own trips, saying “At least it isn’t the taxpayers paying for the trips.”

The storm they caused starting in 2005 ultimately lead to Mark and I writing Caucus of Corruption. That said, this newfound acceptance of travel on our dime wasn’t unexpected.  The question is, why, after Democrats said they’d conduct themselves more openly, honestly, and ethically, have actually done the opposite. I think we all know why.

• Twitter Updates for 2009-06-30 http://tinyurl.com/n3q3l2 #
• Twitter Updates for 2009-06-30 http://tinyurl.com/loy4k8 #
• What Media Bias? Part 152 http://tinyurl.com/kp727h #
• Israeli Navy Battles Kookery on the High Seas http://tinyurl.com/lbscmg #
• Free Speech is Unfair? http://tinyurl.com/nvdqop #
• Bono’s Ode to Mary http://tinyurl.com/mk9fcw #
• Phrase of the Day http://tinyurl.com/ma3zyo #
• A Question to Ponder http://tinyurl.com/lj7czy #
• Planned Parenthood Breaks the Law, Again http://tinyurl.com/ncvquk #
• If You Wish to Study History… http://tinyurl.com/ma8puf #
• Representative Waxman (D-CA) Hospitalized http://tinyurl.com/lj63m7 #
• Obama to Hide From the American People http://tinyurl.com/mtg73y #

• Twitter Updates for 2009-06-29 http://tinyurl.com/kvhxa8 #
• Hungarians Smarter Than Obama http://tinyurl.com/nq6jaq #
• China: The “Other Shoe” Waiting to Drop http://tinyurl.com/nxrlx7 #
• Having a “Stay-cation” This Year? http://tinyurl.com/lp9kle #
• Phrase of the Day http://tinyurl.com/kvbdap #
• Going After the “Cap and Tr8tors” http://tinyurl.com/n3wrvq #
• Another election stolen for a Democrat… #
• @suziejoh and we have to wait 6 years for the MN voters to realize that the joke wasn’t funny. in reply to suziejoh #
• A Coda to the Scandal in the Church http://tinyurl.com/moshqp #

• Twitter Updates for 2009-06-28 http://tinyurl.com/knhe48 #
• On a Shoestring, Part III http://tinyurl.com/n6zopm #
• Obama’s Chance to Bring Real Foreign Policy Change http://tinyurl.com/mcekb7 #
• Phrase of the Day http://tinyurl.com/lffsmh #
• As the Wheels Start to Come Off the Obama Express http://tinyurl.com/nsonmu #
• Obama Sides With Castro, Chavez on Honduras http://tinyurl.com/n6ly2y #
• Sotomayor: Unfit for the Supreme Court http://tinyurl.com/nbr4lx #

• Twitter Updates for 2009-06-27 http://tinyurl.com/mma24q #
• Hating Obama as Much as Bush http://tinyurl.com/m7nk59 #
• Phrase of the Day http://tinyurl.com/lx5j27 #
• Educated Ignorance http://tinyurl.com/l5yk7w #
• Crisis in Honduras http://tinyurl.com/nvah7u #
• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-06-28 http://tinyurl.com/nkzvbf #
• I Want a Divorce http://tinyurl.com/nv46ca #