I’ll believe it when I see it, but The Hill reports that conservatives are so spooked by the anti-pork crusade that they may try to end the era of the anonymous earmark in the House. The paper says they’re mulling a rule change that would require members to attach their names to each of their precious projects — a rule that won’t necessarily prevent future Duke Cunninghams, but should make them easier to spot.
Of course, the House passed a similar, weaker measure as part of their lobbying reform bill back in April — but the bill seems fated to die in conference, since the GOP is convinced that in the absence of any recent criminal indictments, no one cares about reform any more. So a rule change — which would apply in the House, but not the Senate — may be the only reform Americans could get before Election Day.
