Not such a Flake-y idea?

The biggest political joke of 2007 had to be all the straight-faced boasts we heard about how Congress had fixed the budget earmarking process – what we commonly and rightly call “pork.” The joke, however, was on us taxpayers. With some new terminology, sly accounting tricks and window dressing, much of the same old unaccountable, hidden spending continued at the whim of individual lawmakers from both parties. So it’s gratifying to see a vacancy on the pivotal House Appropriations Committee being turned into a sort of referendum on earmark reform. The GOP spot on the committee opened up Dec. 31 when Rep. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., was appointed to the U.S. Senate to replace the now-retired Trent Lott.

A campaign has started to persuade Republican leaders to select Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., for the committee post. Like Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, Flake doesn’t do earmarks – period – and has been outspoken about Congress’ spending excesses. How outspoken? GOP leaders ousted him from the Judiciary Committee in 2006 for revealing their dirty little earmarking secrets. That was before Republicans lost their congressional majority – largely, the exit polls revealed, over voter disgust with the corrpution this pork system fostered. Now, suddenly, Republicans want to be the party of fiscal responsibility again, so Flake and his supporters – notably former House Majority Leader Dick Armey and his FreedomWorks.org – argue that appointing him would be a good way not only to show they’re serious about reform, but to help make reform happen. Armey’s group is trying to get citizens to contact members of the GOP Steering Committee, which will make the decision.

“We all recognize that one of the major factors in the loss of our congressional majority was our failure to control spending,” Flake wrote in a letter to Boehner asking for the appointment. “There are currently 29 Republican slots on the Appropriations Committee. At present, all 29 Republicans participate to some degree or another in the earmarking process and are thus subject to logrolling. … Wouldn’t it make sense to have at least one Republican member of the Appropriations committee who doesn’t earmark?” Unfortunately, what makes sense doesn’t often prevail in Washington, so Flake’s bid seems to be a long shot. The smart money – quite literally – may be on Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., who is the chief campaign fundraiser for congressional Republicans. You can see where this is headed.

Would it be too much to hope for at least one contrary voice in this process? As Armey puts it, “Three groups spend other people’s money: children, thieves and politicians. All three need parental supervision.”