Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) requested $2.3 billion in earmarks for fiscal 2009, nearly three times the second largest senatorial request this year. Clinton’s request takes pork-spending greed to a new level after last year’s $837-million request by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) turned reformers’ heads. Among the three presidential candidates, Clinton is by far the biggest spender. Barack Obama foreswore earmarks for 2009 and all his requests have totaled $740 million in his three years in the Senate. John McCain has yet to tally a single earmark request, sticking to his position against wasteful government spending.

Clinton’s request is heavy on grants for homeland security, but her office has given no details as to specifically where the money would be spent. Some think that she is looking to spread gobs of money around New York State in case she loses the presidential race and finds herself in need of support for a third Senate term. Nah, couldn’t be.