It's a litmus test, potentially. Anyone who is hypocritical enough to oppose earmarks in a general way and then goes after them for his jurisdiction should be highlighted by the conservative populists and have his/her actions used as a "Strike One" against them re: being supported in their next election.

For one thing, the GOP can say they've kept their word, and the Democrats can say it proves they can get serious about cutting spending. And haven't you noticed, by the way, many Democrats are suddenly talking about cutting earmarks? Ever wonder why?

I say its because they can avoid the tax cuts and regulation reductions if they use earmark reform as a smokescreen.

It would be too easy for them to point to earmarks as proof of their success and then drop it at that on some other pretext. Then the next thing you know people are going to be demanding the earmarks back. Think about it. There's a reason politicians bring home the bacon as a way to get re-elected. The reason-it works because people want it, and these politicians know that.

I don't know if I'm really getting my point across to you or not, but let me put it this way. Politicians are slimy and they'll play you all day long.

Drop the taxes to a reasonable amount, cut regulations to the bare bones minimum and this stuff will work itself out. But there will still need to be some spending cuts, and any idea that the military budget is untouchable is going to be a non-starter. We have way too many bases overseas. Let the Euros start paying their own way. Same with Japan. With the exceptions of our obligations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf which is vital, and South Korea, everything else should be drastically reduced or in some cases eliminated. Plus, stop producing these outmoded weapons. We could probably cut well over ten percent with little problem if any. It just takes political will to do so.

Couple that with a freeze on federal hiring and we might-might-get this mess worked out. But its going to take sacrifices across the board. Earmarks aren't going to even begin to cut it. About like putting band-aids over multiple stab wounds.

As for the rest, it won't work. Foreign aid will be with us always, as it should. The military budget does need to be cut, but cutting it in half is suicide (and always has been). I get the whole isolationist argument, but it's folly. America has never worked that way and, with the world as it is, imaging that we will prosper doing otherwise is just silly.