As a candidate for Congress in 2006, Texas’s Nick Lampson continuously railed against Congressional pork projects and lobbyist influence.  Pork projects, or earmarks, are placed in annual appropriation bills at the request of Members of Congress. Lobbyists are often hired by organizations to convince Members of Congress to insert funding requests into appropriation bills.   The Issues section of Lampson’s 2006 campaign web site expressed concern about pork projects placed into appropriation bills by Members of Congress by stating, “… Congress should not keep reaching for the credit card to pay for wasteful spending and lobbyist perks.” His statement goes on to say, “We shouldn't be spending on pork projects like bridges to nowhere in Alaska and a tea pot museum in North Carolina.  We must set priorities and stick to them.” In February 2006 the Lampson campaign put out a press release attacking then Congressman Tom DeLay which said, “Texans want a Congressman who will be more concerned with fiscal responsibility, homeland security, and education than lining the pockets of Washington lobbyists.”   When discussing earmarks in an interview with The Hill newspaper in May of 2006 Mike Malaise, a spokesman for Lampson’s, campaign said “…the policy is too often abused for the sake of lobbyist paybacks and unworthy projects that needlessly increase our deficits.”Continuing the “Culture of Corruption” mantra used by Democrats during the 2006 election cycle Lampson’s campaign web site posted excerpts from an interview where he commented,    “We should also end earmarks that contribute to wasteful spending on behalf of Washington lobbyists.” Lampson apparently believes so strongly in the issue that his 2008 campaign web site carries similar rhetoric to 2006 by stating, “… we should not keep reaching for the credit card to pay for lobbyists pet projects.” A review by the Majority Accountability Project (www.MajorityAP.com) of Congressional earmarks prepared by Taxpayers for Common Sense shows that Lampson, in the FY2008 Labor HHS appropriations bill, acquired $97,000 in taxpayer funds for the Texas Chiropractic College.In 2007, the Texas Chiropractic College was a client of the Advocacy Group, a Washington, D.C. based lobby firm. The Advocacy Group’s web site states, “The firm is an advocate for clients before the Congress, The White House, federal departments, agencies and various state govemments.”   On March 28, 2008 the Advocacy Group lobbyist, whose firm represents Texas Chiropractic College, contributed $1,000 to Lampson’s campaign.  An additional earmark, on the Taxpayers for Common Sense list, shows Lampson acquired $800,000 for Laser Shot, Inc. The company’s CEO and COO gained notoriety for contributions to then Congressman Tom DeLay’s re-election campaign and legal defense fund according to a story that appeared in Roll Call newspaper in May of 2006.    Laser Shot, Inc. gained additional notoriety in the Roll Call story. The article pointed out,  "Connoisseurs of the bribery scandal involving former Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-Calif.) will recall that the now-imprisoned appropriator owned two Laser Shot Inc. shooting simulators, worth $9,200, courtesy of defense contractor Mitchell Wade, who pleaded guilty in February to conspiring to bribe public officials, notably Cunningham.” This election cycle the CEO and COO of Laser Shot, Inc. have contributed a total of $5,600 to Lampson’s re-election campaign.  Lampson’s campaign has taken in $44,250 from lobbyists and lobby firm political action committees this cycle. In addition, his campaign has taken in $469,191 from other political action committees. In 2008, Lampson “…brought home $42 million in earmarks…,” and for FY 2009 Lampson has submitted over $60,000,000 in earmark requests according to a list compiled by the Houston Chronicle.