Oink, oink

Although they represent less than 2 percent of federal government spending each year, pork-barrel "earmarks" are the most visible tip of the iceberg when it come to selfish, wasteful, special-interest looting of the federal treasury to benefit congressional hometown pals.

It's thus interesting to note -- even as politicians of both parties flock in the election year to claim membership in the ranks of the responsible and the frugal -- that earmarks in 2009 added up to $15.9 billion, up from $15.6 billion in 2008, according to the group Taxpayers for Common Sense.

This despite the fact that dozens of House Republicans -- including Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio -- now refuse to seek them.

With fewer Republicans pursuing the line items, they accounted for 34 percent of the dollar value for earmarks dished out on a partisan basis, down from 43 percent in 2008. That's a start.

But the largest single earmarks pig continued to be a Republican, Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, who sent home nearly $500 million in special favors. In the House, three of the five largest recipients were Republicans.

Many congressional leaders -- including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., -- are former members of the appropriations committees and continue to collect large sums in earmarks. That trio collected more than $200 million in earmarks for their states, without any co-sponsors.

With interest on the federal debt threatening to swallow the economy whole, Americans face a bleak choice between default -- which would mean going cold turkey on future borrowing -- or paying off the nation's debts in dollars even more devalued than today's greenbacks.

Saying "Everybody does it" isn't likely to carry much weight with outraged voters in the fall. Yes, vast amounts of wasteful, counterproductive and unconstitutional spending still pour out of Washington without the "earmark" label. But if the lawmakers can't even break this habit ...