GOPiggies

Funny thing about the Greedy Old Party.

They like to talk about small government. And reducing spending. And eliminating waste. And halting pork.

But, as it turns out, it's nothing but talk.

The demise of the bridge to nowhere notwithstanding, Sen. Ted Stevens and other Republicans remain the kings of pork-barrel spending, proving that GOP mastery of "earmarks" can withstand public scorn, a president's rebuke and even a Democratic takeover of Congress.

The Senate's two biggest sponsors of this year's pet spending projects are Republicans Stevens of Alaska and Thad Cochran of Mississippi, according to preliminary reviews of fiscal 2008 spending bills by Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan group. Two of the House's three biggest claimants of earmarks also are Republicans: Bill Young of Florida and Jerry Lewis of California, the group found.

Funny how the GOP likes to portray the Democratic Party as the party of big spenders, isn't it?

Of course, one man's pork is another man's ... pork. And when you're busy pointing fingers, you just pray that no one takes a look at the facts. Like the fact that the pork kings reside (and always have resided) in the GOP, not in the Democratic Party.

Their continued success at steering billions of taxpayer dollars to their constituents is all the more impressive — or arguably hypocritical — since President Bush and other prominent Republicans sharpened their criticisms of earmarks after Democrats took over the House and Senate majorities in January.

The GOP would rather you didn't know that, by the way.

And so it goes.