McCain blames Minnesota bridge collapse on wasted money
by The Associated Press
 
ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- John McCain is placing the blame for last year's deadly Minneapolis bridge collapse on congressional pet projects.

While campaigning in Pennsylvania, the Republican told reporters that the bridge didn't collapse because of a lack of money, but because Congress had wasted funds on pork-barrel spending.

He says money was funneled to ``unnecessary and unwanted projects,'' such as Alaska's infamous proposed 223-million-dollar bridge to a barely populated island, instead of where it was needed.

Federal investigators cite undersize steel plates as the ``critical factor'' in the collapse of the Minnesota bridge. Preliminary reports also suggest heavy loads of construction materials contributed to the disaster.

The Arizona senator is proposing to wipe out earmarks and make every project compete in the regular congressional funding process.