BNA has published a trendline comparison ($) of the number and the dollar amount of actual FY05 and proposed FY08 legislative earmarks and implies that, thus far in this year's process, numbers for both are heading down. "Of the five bills for which data had been posted July 13, earmark totals were mostly down in comparison with the 2005 figures," BNA says. We looked at BNA's findings and did some math, as follows:

• Financial Services -- reduction in earmarks: 65 fewer; $150 million reduction in spending
• Interior and Environment -- reductions: 1000 earmarks and $600 million
• Labor-HHS-Education -- reductions: 2000 earmarks and $600 million
• Homeland Security -- increases: 14 earmarks and $200 million
• Military Construction -- 70 fewer earmarks but $3.5 BILLION more in spending

So, guess which part of "earmark totals were mostly down" doesn't count?