PORKBUSTERS UPDATE: Cutting out the cardinals:
Senior Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee claim that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has left them out of discussions about a moratorium on earmarks, marking a departure from the inclusive leadership style she has employed for much of her reign.
As some appropriators grumbled, Democrats on Tuesday inched closer to an earmark moratorium, a move that would infuriate many appropriators.
“It’s going to happen,†said an irritated Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. Others were more circumspect.
I hope his irritation is justified.
UPDATE: Justin Higgins thinks I’m too pro-Democrat on this issue: “I can’t help but feel that your coverage on earmarks is one-sided, and that you’re actually under-representing some of the positive moves folks like John Boehner are making. He blogged about earmarks on my site and made the case clear that they welcome Pelosi and the Dems on an earmark moratorium, but they were pushing the issue first.” Um, okay.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Gregory Hill emails: “The Dems are in charge right now, so they’re the ones making policy. The Republicans had their chance; and blew it in a huge way. That’s why they’re not in charge anymore. If earmark reform was such a big deal to them, then why didn’t they make a big deal of it when they had a chance to make a difference?” Yeah, I seem to remember asking them that a time or two.