Now that we’ve had several days of fun blasting Boss Limbaugh for his idiotic statement that he hopes Obama fails, it’s time to turn our attention to some idiotic Democratic behavior. I’m sorry, but the earmarks in this omnibus bill are appalling, and Sen. McCain was correct to go ballistic over them. The Christian Science Monitor reports:

The bill, which will fund government for the balance of the 2009 fiscal year, includes 8,570 earmarks worth $7.7 billion, according to a new report by Taxpayers for Common Sense in Washington [...]

“I ask the senator from Hawaii [Sen. Daniel Inouye (D), who chairs the Appropriations Committee]: Why do we need to spend $2 million to promote astronomy in Hawaii when unemployment is going up and the stock market is tanking? Do we really need to continue this wasteful process?” McCain asked his colleague.

McCain, the longest-serving earmark opponent in the Senate, also noted: $1.7 million in the bill for pig odor research in Iowa; $6.6 million for termite research in New Orleans; $2.1 million for the Center for Grape Genetics in New York; $1.7 million for a honeybee factory in Weslaco, Texas; $143,000 for an online encyclopedia in Nevada; $150,000 for a rodeo museum in South Dakota; $238,000 for the Alaska PTA, and $333,000 for a school sidewalk in Franklin, Texas.

President Obama is showing a disturbing tolerance for the pork in this bill, and it seems that he will sign it because he doesn’t want to take on Congressional Democrats. The official explanation offered by Rahm Emmanuel and others on the Sunday talk shows is that the omnibus bill is “old business”, and that supposedly excuses the President from responsibility. That’s a cop-out. What is really going on here? I think the President doesn’t want to pick a fight with his own party. Exhibit A is Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), who seems to be saying that Obama may not like these earmarks, but he’s just gonna have to accept them, because Congress runs this show. In his own words:

Asked about White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs’ statement Monday that the Obama administration was formulating guidelines for earmark reform, Hoyer said flatly, “I don’t think the White House has the ability to tell us what to do.”

He paused deliberately and quipped to reporters in the room, “I hope you all got that down.”

It seems that the President tried to convince Congress not to put these earmarks in, but they defied him:

CNN reported Monday that, according to Democratic sources at a White House meeting last week, Obama urged Democratic leaders to “limit” future earmarks and, in what one official described as a “tense” exchange, the leaders told the president they’ll do what they can to continue reform, but that earmarking projects for districts and states is a prerogative of Congress.

Hoyer, who attended the White House meeting, vigorously defended earmark requests Tuesday, calling them “the congressional initiative process.”

“I philosophically believe it would be an undermining of the Article One responsibilities given to the Congress of the United States if it were to abandon its right to add items that it believes are priorities for our country and for the communities we represent as members of Congress,” Hoyer said.

Uh, no. The President is a co-equal branch of government the last time I checked the Constitution. Congress does have a right to add whatever it wants into its bills, but President Obama doesn’t have to sign them. In fact, he should veto this bill unless the earmarks are taken out.

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) has an excellent piece in the Wall Street Journal today explaining how damaging it could be to President Obama if he signs this bill:

The omnibus debate is not merely a battle over last year’s unfinished business, but the first indication of how we will shape our fiscal future. Spending should be held in check before taxes are raised, even on the wealthy. Most people are willing to do their duty by paying taxes, but they want to know that their money is going toward important priorities and won’t be wasted.

Last week I was pleased to attend the president’s White House Fiscal Responsibility Summit. It’s about time we had a leader committed to addressing the deficit, and Mr. Obama deserves great credit for doing so. But what ultimately matters are not meetings or words, but actions. Those who vote for the omnibus this week — after standing with the president and pledging to slice our deficit in half last week — jeopardize their credibility.

This is a perfect opportunity for Obama to tell the Congressional Dems that they are not special just because they have a “D” beside their names. Obama needs to stand up to Republicans and Democrats who are still practicing the old politics. Obviously, the President has to pick his battles with his own party wisely, but by signing the omnibus bill, he will cause serious damage to his credibility on spending. On this bill, Obama needs to remember the theme of his inaugural address: a new era of responsibility. This is a battle worth fighting.