"It’s only January, and already it’s been a rough year for earmarks. House Speaker John Boehner banished them from the chamber. And if that wasn’t enough, President Barack Obama told the nation in Tuesday’s State of the Union speech that he will veto any legislation containing the pet projects.
But Washington has always been more pork than chop — so earmarks may be disappearing, but their lobbyists are not.
What insiders understand is that the money that used to be tagged for earmarks isn’t going away. It’s just moving. Instead of lawmakers designating it for hometown projects, government agencies and departments will dole it out through contracts and grants — a shift that some lobbying shops have been anticipating for years."
Earmarks wane but lobbying doesn't
POLITICO.com:
