Of all the official statistics on terror-related investigations that have been thrown around since 9/11, only 2 out of 26 sets of department data were accurate, according to a Justice Department audit. The rest of the data? It included immigration violations, marriage fraud, and drug trafficking cases merged in with terror data. Some of the cases under the anti-terrorism umbrella included:

• Charges against a marriage-broker for being paid to arrange six fraudulent marriages between Tunisians and U.S. citizens.
  
• Prosecution of a Mexican citizen who falsely identified himself as another person in a passport application.
  
• Charges against a suspect for dealing firearms without a license. The prosecutor handling the case told auditors it should not have been labeled as anti-terrorism.

Auditors were concerned about the inaccurate numbers because this data helps, in part, to shape the Justice Department's budget. And obviously more terror cases equals more money. Similar problems are being seen in the Department of Homeland Security, which has become a new and effective vehicle for securing pork.

For example, a small town in Washington received a $52,800 grant from Homeland Security to buy 3,200 devices that allow conventional porch lights to flash so the house is easier for emergency personnel to find. That's $52,800 that could be spent in high-risk areas. It could be used to hire more emergency responders in New York, or to aid security efforts in Washington DC. It would even be put to better use helping Boston deal with fanatical Mooninites.