Obama releases earmarked spending requests

WASHINGTON, March 14 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama released his earmarked requests for the past three years, challenging Sen. Hillary Clinton to do the same.

Obama's $740 million in home-state spending requests included money for projects tied to campaign donors and support for more than 200 towns, civic institutions and universities in Illinois, The New York Times reported Friday.

They also included a request for $1 million for the University of Chicago Medical Center, where his wife is a vice president. Obama's aides said his wife had nothing to do with the request, which was defeated.

The release of the Illinois senator's earmarked requests came as he, Clinton and the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, were united in their support of a proposal that would to ban spending earmarked for home-state projects for a year. The measure, considered during a marathon budget debate on the Senate floor, was defeated Thursday.

So far, the New York senator has resisted Obama's call for her to release her earmarked requests.