PORK HYPOCRISY IN THE WHITE HOUSE? “Democratic and Republican appropriators are accusing President Bush of urging Congress to pack spending bills with pet projects despite his high-profile crackdown on earmarks this year. A House Appropriations Committee report accompanying legislation funding the Department of the Interior shows that Bush requested 93 of the 321 earmarks in the bill.” But read the whole thing, as the White House claims that the process is different.

UPDATE: Yeah: “Now, it may be that some of these projects are perfectly worthwhile, but, once again the president’s tin ear becomes all too visible. If the GOP is to make a serious effort to avoid disaster in 08, it will have to involve distancing itself from the “Washingtoness” epitomized by the earmarking process (it’s not so much the spending, as the way that that spending is decided) or, for that matter, procedural trickery such as the clay pigeon.
So long as it is the party of Lott or, for that matter, the party of Bush, the chances of that happening are, shall we say, remote.”