John McCain called a $3 million federal earmark to study DNA of bears in Montana “criminal” (he’s criticized this particular earmark in the past, too). His running mate, however, asked for $3.2 million in federal funds to study the “genetics of harbor seals” earlier this year, among nearly $200-million worth of earmark requests. Bears? Criminal. Seals? Totally cool.
McCain actually voted for the 2003 omnibus appropriations bill that contained the bear DNA earmark.