HOG WILD: MICHELLE MALKIN launches a salvo at Alaska Republican porkmeister Don Young.

Meanwhile, John Tabin observes:

For the first time in a long time, fiscal restraint is both good policy and good politics. To turn his approval rating numbers around, Bush needs to shore up restless conservatives, and get behind — or better yet, in front of — calls for spending cuts to offset hurricane reconstruction. . . .

Bush has made some rhetorical glances toward spending cuts; last Friday, when he ruled out a tax increase to pay for post-hurricane reconstruction, he spoke of “cutting unnecessary spending.” But if he and his party are going to get credit for turning toward fiscal discipline, he needs to be more visible on this issue.

Yes, he does. Jonah Goldberg is less optimistic, though: “The porkbusters fight is fun now, but not since early cave men tried to train grizzly bears to give them tongue-baths has a project seemed more obviously doomed to end in disappointment. Expecting Congress — of either party — to give back pork which has already been approved and passed into law is like expecting crack whores to give refunds days after services have been rendered.”

UPDATE: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jim Wooten signs on to PorkBusters: “Folks are invited to identify pork projects in our own backyards that could be delayed or scrapped altogether to help fund Katrina costs. The Web site is: truthlaidbear.com/porkbusters.php. It’s a sacrifice to a handful of Georgians, I know, but I’m offering up the commuter rail line to Lovejoy. That’ll free up $106 million for the Gulf Coast.”

ANOTHER UPDATE: Daniel Drezner starts out pessimistic, but ends on a more optimistic note. I’m certainly OK on pushing back (or abolishing) the Medicare prescription drug benefit, and while I’d normally favor moon colonies I’m not at all convinced that NASA’s plan will give us what we need.