Hopeful news this afternoon from the first House GOP Conference meeting of the year - it looks like Leader John Boehner understands that Republicans need to get serious about earmarks if they're going to return from the political wilderness.  From the White House Bulletin:

Boehner Says House GOP Must Draw Line On Earmarks Or Prepare For Permanent Minority.  House Minority Leader John Boehner used the first House GOP Conference meeting of 2008 to draw a very hard line on congressional earmarks.  Boehner, who is one of the few Members of Congress who does not earmark, told his colleagues that if they cannot break out of that habit, they will not regain the majority.  According to a knowledgeable source, Boehner told the Conference this morning, “Washington is broken.  We need to show the American people we're ready to fix it,” adding, “We aren't going to earn the majority back until we do something serious about earmarks.  If we don't get serious about it, and get serious soon, we're going nowhere.”  The source said Boehner concluded by saying, “I have no interest in being minority leader just to be minority leader.  I took this job to lead an effort to earn back our majority -- this year.  Not next year or the year after that.  This year.”

Leader Boehner and his colleagues can start to regain trust on the spending issue by naming a bona fide anti-pork Member of Congress, such as Congressman Jeff Flake, to fill the open seat on the House Appropriations Committee.  It'll be very interesting to see if rank-and-file Members have gotten the message that Boehner apparently has...