Arlen Specter's Magic Bullet Lobbyist Paid Earmark Theory

Arlen's had an interesting life. Not only is he "the senator from Scotland", but he was the one who promoted the "magic bullet" theory to explain how Oswald's shot managed to go weaving in and out and back again from JFK and then Texas governor John Connelly. Arlen also represented a counterculteral homicidal maniac who killed his girlfriend because she had the nerve to leave him.

When Arlen tried to show he had a pair of testicles upon becoming chairman of the Senate Judiacy Committee, Karl Rove and Company bitch slapped his balls right down his throat and Arlen, like a good little paid-for whore, ate them.

Now there's this, which sure sounds like something Tom DeLay would admire Specter for:

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has asked that the Senate Ethics Committee begin an investigation to determine whether Vicki Siegel, a staff member employed by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) on the Senate Committee on Appropriations, has violated the Senate Rules of Conduct.

According to a USA Today story, Ms. Siegel is married to lobbyist Michael Herson, who is a co-founder of the firm American Defense International (“ADI”). ADI has apparently received nearly $1.5 million in lobbying fees since 2002 from six clients who, as a result of 13 earmarks offered by Senator Specter, received a total of $48.7 million in set asides. The article states that Senator Specter claimed credit for all of the earmarks in various news releases.

Given that the companies that received the $48.7 million in earmarks paid Mr. Herson’s firm nearly $1.5 million in fees, it appears likely that they paid ADI, at least in part, to lobby for those earmarks. As Mr. Herson’s spouse, Ms. Siegel indirectly derived a substantial financial benefit from Mr. Herson’s representation of those clients. And, as the primary Appropriations Committee staff member for Senator Specter, it also appears likely that Ms. Siegel was involved in securing the passage of those earmarks. As a result, CREW has asked that the Committee immediately commence an investigation into the circumstances that led to the passage of those earmarks and Ms. Siegel’s involvement in securing them.

Wow... 1.5 million got them 48.7 million in business? That's quite a return on their investment.

How much was Arlen Specter paid, anyway?