Mark of hypocrisy

Friday, Dec. 17, 2010 | 2:01 a.m.

Two Republican Senate leaders held a news conference Wednesday to complain about the omnibus spending bill unveiled by the Democrats, particularly the earmarks in it. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, leader of the Republican Policy Committee, said the bill was “loaded up with pork projects,” and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who oversees the effort to elect Republicans to the Senate, called the plan “an outrage.”

But before they got very far, they were confronted with a hard truth: Both men have millions of dollars worth of earmarks in the bill. Cornyn and Thune tried to dismiss questions about their hypocrisy by saying they would simply vote against the bill.

Meanwhile, the top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, called the spending bill a “slap in the face” of voters, decrying the earmarks in it. Never mind that McConnell set aside $109 million worth of projects for his state in the legislation.

Republicans say they have changed. Yes, they were for earmarks before they were against them. They credit this purported change to the election, saying voters want change in Washington. As a result, many Republicans have professed to be born-again fiscal conservatives, renouncing earmarks in the name of the Tea Party.

Cornyn has been a prodigious earmarker but he says he has changed. Asked by a journalist if it was wrong before his conversion to put earmarks in the budget bill, he got upset, and an aide quickly ended the news conference.

So much for repentance.

Earlier in the question-and-answer session, Cornyn and Thune were asked why, instead of voting against the bill, they wouldn’t instead strip it of all the earmarks. Neither would support that, and it’s no wonder why. If the bill passes, they’ll be able to say they opposed it — while taking credit for bringing home millions of dollars in federal money.

If that wasn’t hypocritical enough, Cornyn even had the gall to complain about the “process,” claiming the bill was rushed. Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye of Hawaii said the plan was crafted between Republicans and Democrats over the course of the past year, calling it bipartisan.

It certainly was — 34 Senate Republicans found time to insert earmarks. Mississippi’s two Republican senators have the highest number of earmarks, with Sen. Thad Cochran leading the way. He has 230 earmarks worth more than $500 million. Nevada’s Republican Sen. John Ensign put his name on nearly $100 million worth of earmarks.

To make matters worse, the Republican hypocrisy is putting a focus on a minor matter. Congress should be working on spurring the economy and cutting the debt, yet Republicans are raising a stink about earmarks, which account for less than 1 percent of the budget.

Once again, Republicans have missed the point. Voters want a government that works, and that starts in Congress. Yet Republicans are engaging in petty political games and stalling progress. Enough is enough. It’s time for Republicans to end their hypocrisy.