Romney's share of pork

WASHINGTON - Mitt Romney takes a hard line against congressional earmarks, but the Republican presidential candidate had a more favorable view of federal pork-barrel spending as governor of Massachusetts.

Under Romney's leadership, Massachusetts sought tens of millions of dollars in earmarks for transportation projects through the state's congressional delegation.

A prime example was the $30 million his administration requested to renovate the historic Longfellow Bridge over the Charles River between Cambridge and Boston.

Romney's transportation secretary, Daniel A. Grabauskas, asked a House committee to include the money in a transportation spending bill - the same earmark-packed bill that sparked public furor and became a symbol for Washington's spending habits when Congress passed it in 2005.

In a letter June 17, 2004, to the transportation panel's chief of staff that was obtained by the Associated Press, Grabauskas said federal money for the Longfellow Bridge could be provided as part of the "bridge program, a new megaproject or an outside earmark, or a combination of the three." Grabauskas did not immediately respond to phone messages from AP seeking comment.

A Romney campaign spokeswoman would not respond to questions about how many earmarks the Romney administration asked for, and the sums and projects involved. "Every state budget in the country is dependent on federal funding, and every governor in the country makes requests for funding, but governors do not get to decide how Congress appropriates money," said Andrea Saul, a Romney spokeswoman. "Gov. Romney supports a permanent ban on earmarks, which are symbols of what's wrong with Washington."

When Romney was governor and his state needed money to fix crumbling roads and bridges, his administration suggested earmarks for projects to lawmakers on Capitol Hill who were in a position to request the money.

His aides specified projects they wanted included as earmarks in the transportation bill to members of the state's congressional delegation as the measure moved through Congress, said U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D., Mass.).

"The Romney administration was crystal clear on earmarks and what they wanted," McGovern said. "They sent us a letter specifically asking for money to be earmarked for projects."