In his final State of the Union address last night President Bush announced his intention to wield the veto pen against congressional earmarks but it's too little, too late for the billions in secret spending that have already been doled out for pork barrel project rewards to campaign contributors. Many, including Public Campaign Action Fund's David Donnelly, tell the Boston Globe that Bush should have gone much farther.

It's not that I begrudge a guy an urge to spend time in the land of gouda and windmills but tell me it doesn't look a mite suspicious when Roland Arnall dumps millions into the election of George W. Bush then winds up Ambassador to The Netherlands?