After both houses of Congress moved with close to record speed right before recess to pass the president's appropriations request -- the largest in history -- the president wasted no time in pushing everything back to square one by promising to veto whatever might emerge from conference once Congress returns from recess. Today, President Bush appeared to castigate Congress for wasting everybody's time by adding conditions to a funding bill:

A March 31 article entitled Transparency Takes a Hit by Robert Bluey of Heritage supports an idea we've offered below. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) produced thorough reports on earmarks in appropriations acts in FYs 94, 96, 98, 2000, 02, 04, 05, and 06, calculating the number and dollar value of earmarks originating both from the Executive Branch and from Congress. But last month, CRS suddenly decided to desist with these reports, citing reasons that defy comprehension. Per Bluey:

In the first 100 hours of the current Congress, the House enacted a package of ethics and lobbying reforms that included banning members of Congress from receiving gifts and free meals and travel from lobbyists. About a month later, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) tapped Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA) to head up a bipartisan task force to explore whether to create an independent office to enforce House ethics rules. Capuano's findings are due May 1, but expected later that month.

To follow up Dana's post about the NYT's obit for supply-side economics, I want point you to a couple of related posts. First, Kevin Drum @ Washington Monthly: I got to wondering if serious supply-siders got tired of having their entire school of thought made into a laughingstock by today's endless parade of yahoos blathering mindlessly about how tax cuts always and everywhere magically increase revenue. Surely they find such childishness embarrassing?