And The Hill doesn’t even count the Obama-Pelosi omnibus spending bill, the biggest Trojan Porker ever passed by Congress.  Instead, they focus on appropriations bills, and discover that the Democratic majority has resulted in even further increases of the normal version of pork-barrel spending on Capitol Hill.  But that’s okay, because Barack Obama promised to veto pork bills … right?

The cost of earmarks increased this year despite lawmakers’ claims they’re working to reduce pork-barrel spending. Earmarks, which are inserted in appropriations bills by members in order to fund specific projects, added up to $19.9 billion in 2009, according to an analysis by the Taxpayers for Common Sense and Center for Responsive Politics. Earmarks in 2008 spending bills were worth $18.3 billion. … “At a minimum, earmarks granted to lawmakers’ friends and supporters merit scrutiny and indicate potential conflicts of interest,” said Sheila Krumholz, the executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics.

I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for a presidential veto.  Obama had that opportunity with the $410 billion omnibus bill in the first few weeks of his presidency.  Despite matching John McCain’s anti-pork rhetoric on the campaign trail, Obama obligingly signed the bill handed to him by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, even though almost 2% of it consisted of Congressional handouts and favors. Don’t forget about the stimulus bill.  The Hill notes that Obama held Congress to the requirement that they could not add earmarks to Porkulus, but that would have been redundant anyway.  The entire bill consisted of nothing more than liberal-agenda wish-list items and sops to special interests.

Who are the worst offenders?  The years change, but not a lot of the names.  The House has 16 members with more than $100 million in earmarks, all but two of them Democrats.  David Loesback is the worst with $217 million in 29 earmarks, but John Murtha ($138 million) and David Obey ($150 million) make the top 10. 

In the Senate, it’s a much more bipartisan affair, with Republicans and Democrats splitting the top 10.  Mississippi takes Alaska’s crown for pork king with Republicans Roger Wicker and That Cochran both rolling up a billion dollars and more for the home state.  Robert Byrd dropped to seventh, but he’s been ill for most of the past year, too.  However, Tom Harkin, Daniel Inouye, and Mary Landrieu fill in well for Byrd.

This problem didn’t get any better under Democratic leadership; in fact, it’s getting worse.