The More Things Change...

Man, the ethical wasteland that is Congress was supposed to get better under the Democrats, with promised earmark reform. Apparently, they may have meant it would eventually get better...

Remember right after the November elections when the Senate’s longtime “King of Pork,” Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., promised an “earmark moratorium” on 2007 spending? The moratorium was supposed to give the new Democratic majority time to pass the promised legislation that would shine needed light on the thousands of anonymous spending measures slipped into bills by senators and congressmen. Since Byrd was about to become Appropriations Committee chairman and was well-known for directing billions of dollars in earmarks to his home state, the moratorium was seen by many congressional reformers as an encouraging sign.

Now we find that not only has the moratorium on 2007 spending bill earmarks been forgotten, senators are in the process of larding up 2008 bills as well. Both the Senate and the House have passed earmark reforms, but the Democratic leadership in both chambers is taking its time in resolving differences between the two measures.

(hat tip: Instapundit) I repeat what I said last week -- throw the SOBs out, by re-structuring the system with term limits. We don't need another Robert Byrd after this one eventually leaves.