Mixed news this afternoon on the earmark front.  Ever the optimist, I'll start with the good news -- according to the Club for Growth, Congressman Thad McCotter of Michigan has announced that he's not requesting any pork-barrel earmarks this year. 

This is a welcome conversion, considering that Congressman McCotter defended earmarks at our Michigan Defending the American Dream Summit in Detroit last winter.  Chalk this up as further evidence that the political price of pork is continuing to rise.  In any case, kudos to Congressman McCotter.

Now the bad news.  Senate Republicans were scheduled to vote this afternoon on a very modest set of additional, unilateral voluntary earmark reforms that would only apply to themselves.  But apparently Senate GOP appropriators thought the modest  reforms were too strong.  As one observer noted, "And they will no doubt still not understand in November after they lose even more seats."