Pork-barrel earmarks will subsidize Chavez deal

A Homeland Security bill before the US Senate may be used by a European aircraft company to subsidize its military sale to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

Senator Richard Shelby (R-Alabama), pictured, is pushing the deal.

"While Senator Shelby has a record of putting national security interests first, EADS-CASA is attempting to change this by promising to build and service the planes at a new facility in his home state," says this blogger in a Yahoo.com/PRNewswire release.

I like and admire Senator Shelby, and he's a true patriot. But on this issue, he's unintentionally allowed a foreign company, partially owned by the French government, to muscle in on American politics as it joins the Russians in arming the Chavez regime.

"Pork-barrel promises are a proven tactic for foreign companies to gain leverage in America's national security policy process. EADS-CASA should not be allowed to use U.S. tax dollars to subsidize its deal with Chavez."