PORKBUSTERS UPDATE: Thoughts on a Congress of William Jeffersons:

What is especially distressing about the Jefferson case is that it follows hard on the heels of prison sentences handed to two of his former congressional colleagues from the Republican side of the aisle, Randy Cunningham of California and Bob Ney of Ohio. There are also ongoing FBI investigations involving Rep. Allan Mollohan, D-W.Va., Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif., and Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.

The congressional “favor factory” described by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramof thrives because individual congressmen can still anonymously direct federal funds to themselves or family members, political allies, campaign contributors or personal staff members without fear of being held accountable. Such earmarking captures the essence of congressional abuse of office for personal gain. . . . House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. David Obey’s recent disclosure that his panel has received more than 36,000 earmark requests in just five months — more than double the total for all of 2005 — makes clear that many in Congress are hopelessly in the grip of what Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., calls “federal spending addiction.”

Indeed. Read the whole thing.