Congressional Quarterly reports today that 67 Democrats who voted to slash the defense budget by more than 20 percent have won earmarks for home-district projects, totaling about half a billion dollars. Nine of the 12 Democrats who voted against funding defense completely were among those who received earmarks. Some of the highlights:

• Dennis Kucinich, who proposes shifting $75 billion from the “bloated, wasteful Pentagon budget” toward education programs, voted against funding the Defense Department--even though the bill included his earmark of $1 million for a “highpower, lightweight zinc-air battery” made in Kucinich's district.

• Maxine Waters--another consistent critic of high Pentagon spending--got $1 million in the defense bill for launchers for air-to-air Sidewinder missiles not sought by the military. The launchers are built in Inglewood, California, in Ms. Waters' district.

• Marcy Kaptur secured $58 million for her district, including $4 million for a 'Geospatial Airship Research Platform' (otherwise known as a blimp). She too, voted to cut the DoD budget by 21 percent.

• Congressman Jim McDermott, who voted against the bill, secured $11.5 million for his district, including $1 million for an 'Extended Cold Weather Hand Protection System.' Presumably this is far more than he would have gotten for 'gloves.'

• Barbara Lee, who has railed against 'unnecessary weapons programs,' secured funds for two projects the Pentagon regarded as unnecessary. The first was a grant of $2 million for a “lithium ion metal battery” made in Berkeley, and the second was $1 million for the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, Calif., which includes a park, planetarium, observatory and exhibits.

Is it defending her to point out that Ms. Lee at least, is putting her money where her mouth is, and insisting that defense dollars NOT be spent on defense? And of course, Ms. Lee ultimately voted against the funding bill, as well.

The next time Democrats complain that the Defense Department has wasted money on unnecessary projects, or mixed up its priorities and left our soldiers holding the bag, remember how they have chosen to spend scarce defense dollars. Remember too, that if many Democrats had their way, the dollars available would be far scarcer.