Bush is half-hearted on earmark reform

Bush wants earmarks cut in half for fiscal 2008:

President Bush on Wednesday said Congress must reduce its use of earmarks, proposing that lawmakers cut by at least half "the number and cost" of earmarks in the fiscal 2008 appropriations bills.

Renewing an effort he had pursued only half-heartedly since early in his administration when his calls to reel in earmarks failed to gain traction with the GOP-controlled Congress, Bush said the reductions must be accompanied by a thorough reform of the earmarking process.


"Congress needs to adopt real reform that requires full disclosure of the sponsors, the costs, the recipients, and the justifications for every earmark," Bush said. "Congress needs to stop the practice of concealing earmarks in so-called report language."...