WASHINGTON – The free-market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity today released a new online video showing House Democrats call for stronger pork-barrel earmark reform during debate on a modest Republican reform proposal in September.

Set to the Frank Sinatra standard, “Same Old Song and Dance,” the video shows House Democrats calling the GOP plan a “sham,” a “fraud,” and a “Trivial Pursuit,” while calling for the enactment of stronger reforms proposed by Democratic Congressmen Rahm Emanuel (5th Dist. – Ill.) and Chris Van Hollen (8th Dist. – Md.)

Americans for Prosperity released the video because House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi this week said she plans to offer an earmark reform plan on her first day as Speaker that would apparently only make Members of Congress to attach their names to their pork-barrel earmarks – essentially the same Republican reform that she decried as a “sham” in September.

Click here to watch the swingin' video.

ACTION ALERT: After watching the video, be sure to call Leader Pelosi at (202) 225-0100 or e-mail her here and urge her to enact the same strong pork-barrel earmark reforms in the majority that she and her colleagues demanded in the minority.

“House Democrats blasted (GOP) reforms as ‘a sham,’ and ‘a fraud,’” text on the video points out. “They demanded stronger reforms. But now that they’ve secured a majority, House Democrats have apparently abandoned their demand for stronger earmark reforms. What happened to their demand for ‘real’ earmark reform? Is this just same old song and dance?” the text reads as Ol’ Blue Eyes croons in the background.

Members of Congress shown on the video include U.S. Rep. David Obey (7^th Dist. – Wisc.), who is in line to become Chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, also known as the “earmark favor factory,” in January. Obey shouted during House debate of the GOP earmark reform plan that “I don't care if you list the Members who sponsor earmarks. I put out press releases on every one of them. This is a joke. It is a fraud. It plays Trivial Pursuit.”

Congressmen Emanuel and Van Hollen are also shown arguing for their stronger reform proposal, which Americans for Prosperity has called for the new Democratic majority to enact on its first day in control of the U.S. House. On the video, Emanuel and Van Hollen blast Republicans for not allowing an up-or-down vote on their strong reform proposal.

“Democratic Congressmen Emanuel and Van Hollen are to be commended for proposing a strong pork-barrel earmark reform plan,” said AFP Executive Vice President Michelle Korsmo. “The big question now is whether Leader Pelosi will allow a vote on the same reforms that she and her Democratic colleagues called for in the minority. She has a big test awaiting her on her first day as Speaker.”

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is the nation’s premier grassroots organization committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org