Answer? What they are blowing our money on. The Senate Democrats suffered a rather embarrassing defeat this week concerning the disclosure of earmarks. The House passed a sweeping reform of fiscal transparency in their chamber, but the Senate had a much more watered down version that basically kept the vast majority of their pork barrelling hidden behind the community trough out of site and out of mind.

The language favored by Reid and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would require disclosure of only targeted funds directed to nonfederal entities such as a city park, state universities or private contractors.

MSNBC

DeMint insisted that the Senate definition would catch only about 5 percent of earmarks, saying that in most instances lawmakers insert their pet projects not into the bill itself but into the explanatory report language that accompanies the bill and is not subject to a vote.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said that of some 12,852 earmarks found in bills last year, only 534 would be subject to Senate disclosure rules.

In an attempt to keep their thiefdoms, the Democratic leadership in the Senate tried to kill the amendment on arrival so that it couldnt be voted upon. Much to their surprise their motion to table was defeated, but not with the help of seven Republicans.

Voting to keep robbing us blind behind our backs were the following Republican Senators:

Sen. Robert Bennett - Utah

Sen. Jim Bunning - Kentucky

Sen. Pete Dominici - New Mexico

Sen. Orrin Hatch - Utah

Sen. Trent Lott - Mississippi

Sen. Gordon Smith - Oregon

Sen. George Voinovich - Ohio

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110^th Congress - 1^st Session