CQ Politics has the story of a GOP victory in the war on earmarks, but Democrats say, "Not so fast, John Boehner. You may be Republican Leader, Matt's Congressman, and a Great American, but we don't have a deal. We LOVE earmarks and secret slush funds are what got us elected...or something."The deal, as announced by the GOP, would have ten of twelve appropriations bills brought to the floor with the earmarks and a list of who sponsored them attached. The two bills without this treatment: Homeland Security (HR 2638) and Military Construction-VA (HR 2642)...basically, the two bills on the docket for today...
Now, I don't know about you, but hearing Democrats saying that this is a no-deal smacks of protectionism. Do Democrats really want to go in to the next election cycle having made the earmark process even more secretive and covert than ever before? As John Boehner said on our conference call the other day, "When your political enemies are committing suicide, you don't murder them."
