Oregon Public Broadcasting

Critics of Washington Senator Patty Murray call her the 'Queen of Pork.' The three-term Democrat is currently ranked ninth in the Senate for earmarks.

Republican Dino Rossi hopes to make this an issue in this year's campaign. But as Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins reports, Murray is unapologetic.

It was a typical event for Washington's senior senator: a ceremony in Olympia to celebrate a $1 million federal earmark. Mayor Doug Mah played master of ceremonies. Doug Mah: "Well, welcome everyone to the City of Olympia's start of our restoration project for Percival Landing."Murray touted the boardwalk replacement as a jobs creator and an economic boon to Washington's capital city. Afterwards, she defended her reputation as a prolific earmarker in the U.S. Senate. She says it's part of her job.Patty Murray: "I am proud to work hard in every community in this state to ask them what their needs are and then go to fight within the budget process that we have to make sure the resources are here in Washington state."In March, Murray helped defeat a proposal to place a temporary moratorium on earmarks. She does, however, post all of her earmark requests on her Senate website.

Republican Rossi says earmarks are part of what he calls the 'Washington favor factory.'