House GOP leaders stuck to the status quo and gave the open seat on the Appropriations Committee to Alabama's Jo Bonner instead of Jeff Flake. Anyone unfamillar with Rep. Flake's dislike for earmarks can read up on him here. As the WSJ points out, Rep. Bonner had less seniority that Rep. Flake ( 3 terms compared to 4) and seems comfortable with the growth in earmarks over the past few years.

In a study of 50 votes to strike earmarks from bills, Rep. Bonner voted against all but one. In contrast, Rep. Flake voted to get rid all 50 of them.
Among the earmarks Mr. Bonner voted to keep were the Charles Rangel Center for Public Service ($200,000) at City College of New York, a fake prison in Kansas ($100,000), and $150,000 for the American Ballet Theater in New York City.
Its hard to win a battle over earmarks when you keep shooting yourself in the foot.

MAKE IT FLAKE.

In the House of Representatives, there is no stronger ally in the war against Pork than Representative Jeff Flake. Flake is known for proposing amendments stripping House members of their most prized possession, Pork. Often this involves, Flake, standing alone on the House floor like a gunfighter in the Old West,facing off against the purveyor of another egregious earmark. Some examples here.
Flake is on a mission to save the taxpayers' money,one earmark at a time while restoring the name brand of the GOP. Since 1994, the number of earmarks in appropriation bills has tripled.
It just so happens there is a Republican seat available on the House Appropriations Committee. To quote the guys at RedState: "

The Republican leadership has a great opportunity to prove that it is serious about earmark reform and a conservative approach to spending. It’s time to put some action behind their rhetoric...Our party needs Jeff Flake as the face for reform on the influential Appropriations Committee. He is also one of the few men who could change the committee instead of the committee changing him."

To show your support for this Porkbuster, contact your Representative and let them know you take a hard-line against pork-barrel spending and they should too. They can start by appointing Jeff Flake to the Appropriations Comm.
CLICK HERE TO SEND A FORMATTED E-MAIL TO HOUSE LEADERS

Don't believe me? Read the following :
Approps Seat Tests the GOP on Spending - Jackie Kucinich, The Hill
GOP Bloggers Fight For Rep. Flake - Danny Glover, Beltway Blogroll
Flake for Appropriations - Phil Kerpen, National Review
Fight to Put Flake on Appropriations - Amanda Carpenter, Townhall.com
House Appropriator Wants Flake on Spending Panel - J. Kucinich, The