Was busy all last year running for president and did not have the time to pay attention to the Omnibus Spending Bill that was making its way through Congress. This bill was passed by the last Congress after lengthy wrangling and debate and vetoed by President Bush because it contained wasteful spending for health insurance for kids. The Democratic Congress has passed it again.

For various reasons the bill has to pass by Friday or the government shuts down and Senator McCain, no doubt despondent from the election, has just now decided to read to it. He has discovered $7.7 billion in the $416 billion bill that he considers wasteful pork.

He would like President Obama to veto the bill and start the whole process over again. In the meantime the Congress can pass a continuing resolution that will keep funding at last year's levels, continuing policies worked out by last year's president and last year's Congress. The voters showed their approval of these policies by electing a Republican president and returning so many incumbent Republicans to Congress. Not.

Aren't we just a little late John? There will be lots of spending bills and lots of earmarks to fight over in the future and we don't need the uncertainty of a possible government shut down just now.

In a side note, Zachary Cole of The SF Comical reports that one of the earmarks McCain mocks is

$1.8 million for research into "swine odor and manure management" in Iowa.

Senator McCain has obviously never seen a manure lagoon and Wonks Anonymous expects that there are none near any of the gated communities where his many residences are located. Wonks Anonymous suggests that he ask Cindy to google "manure lagoons" and take some time to read the results.