According to Roll Call, House minority leader John Boehner has sent a letter to Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar directing him to strike all Republican requested earmarks from the Water Resources Development Act reauthorization bill being drafted by the committee.

This is welcome news and a sign that maybe the GOP is becoming serious about opposing institutionalized graft, corruption, and fiscal profligacy. It is only a small step but as the saying goes you eat an elephant one bite at a time.

Despite being directed to withdraw their requested earmarks, four members of the GOP caucus have refused to do so: Anh “Joseph” Cao (La.), Henry Brown (S.C.), Don Young (Alaska) and Ron Paul (Texas).

I guess Ron Paul’s own private copy of the Constitution has very good reasons for sticking to his guns here. I mean otherwise he’d be a rank hypocrite and his followers would be tools and we all know that isn’t the case.