I just read the following article over at Instapundit.com. Click on the link to read comments. It’s pretty interesting stuff.

PORKBUSTERS UPDATE: MCCAIN RAPS CONGRESS FOR BRIDGE COLLAPSE:

Republican John McCain said Saturday that Congress could share in the blame for the Minnesota bridge collapsebecause lawmakers diverted billions of dollars in transportation money from road work to pet projects. . . .

“We spent approximately $20 billion of that money on pork barrel, earmark projects,” said McCain. “Maybe if we had done it right, maybe some of that money would have gone to inspect those bridges and other bridges around the country. Maybe the 200,000 people who cross that bridge every day would have been safer than spending $233 million of your tax dollars on a bridge in Alaska to an island with 50 people on it.”

McCain spoke during a town hall-style meeting with activists, saying he was angered not just by Congress wasting money on special projects, but also by it approving reform packages he labeled a sham.

“I’m angry today because we just had a chance to reform this process in Washington and we punted,” said McCain. “We pushed off on the American people a joke and a sham in the name of earmark reform.”

Actually blaming Congress for this particular tragedy is a bit hyperbolic. But we have big infrastructure needs, and we’re spending money on other stuff — and members would rather have their name on something shiny and new than on unglamorous repairs. So in terms of distorted priorities, he’s got a point.