For the Hard of Ear-ing No matter what you want to call it, an earmark is an earmark. If Congressional leaders don't believe that soft earmarks are earmarks, then I think that makes the case as to why we need tougher reforms in place. - Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), on pork-barrel spending But, to be fair, Flake wasn't quoted here about pork-barrel spending. He was quoted about earmarks. If you're interested in the difference -- and if you writers and editors at the Times are listening -- have a look at this, esp. pp. 3-5.

Budget Resolution -- Blue Dogs Say PAYGO or No-Go: In an April 4 letter to the House and Senate Budget Committee Chairs and ranking members, 26 deficit-hawk Blue Dog Democrats said that a budget resolution must "include deficit-neutral AMT relief through reconciliation language and any stimulus package be fully offset [or it] will meet our firm opposition on the House Floor." Given the five-vote margin of victory for the House resolution last month, a defection by 26 Democrats would almost certainly doom the prospects for an FY 2009 budget resolution.

Economy -- Jobless Reports Boost Odds for Stimulus 2.0: Following last week's report that payrolls declined by 80,000 in March, bringing the cumulative three-month loss to 232,000, and the unemployment rate surged upward, to 5.1 percent from 4.8 percent, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on April 4: "Today's disturbing unemployment numbers, combined with [Federal Reserve] Chairman [Ben] Bernanke's recession warning... compels the President to work with Congress on a second stimulus package...

POGO's Scott Amey flags this update on the government's suspension of IBM from obtaining federal contracts: WASHINGTON (AP) — The government has lifted a week-old ban that prevented IBM from getting new federal contracts in an exchange for an agreement from the company to drop its protest of an $84 million Environmental Protection Agency contract it lost last year. ...