With ban, GOP calls duel on earmarks

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:00:08 +0000

In a move to break with the GOP’s big-spending past, House Republicans voted Thursday to ban their members this year from requesting earmarks, the pork-barrel spending that directs money to pet projects in home districts. The Republicans, who passed the moratorium by voice vote in a closed-door meeting, said they have now put pressure on the rest of Congress – Republicans in the Senate, and Democrats in both chambers – to follow their lead. “Today, House Republicans took an important step toward showing the American people we’re serious about reform by adopting an immediate, unilateral ban on all earmarks,” said …

‘Hurt Locker,’ ‘Avatar’ duel for best-picture Oscar

THE WASHINGTON TIMES — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:21:36 +0000

LOS ANGELES — Academy Awards voters are expected to go very big or very small on their best-picture winner at Sunday’s Oscars. The two favorites in the expanded field of 10 best-picture nominees are the as-big-as-it-gets blockbuster “Avatar” and the critical darling “The Hurt Locker,” which drew a tiny fraction of the audience its mammoth competitor pulled in. Either movie would represent a first at the Oscars. James Cameron’s “Avatar” would be the only science-fiction film ever to take home the best-picture prize. While war films have done well at the Oscars, Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” would be the …

OutloudOpinion » duel

With ban, GOP calls duel on earmarks

‘Hurt Locker,’ ‘Avatar’ duel for best-picture Oscar