Senate Rejects Temporary Ban on Pork

The Senate soundly rejected a bid to ban pork barrel spending for a year last night, despite the support of all three presidential candidates who returned to DC for a day of heavy voting, CNN reports. Both the House and Senate also passed budget plans—largely symbolic moves in an election year—that would allow many of President Bush's tax cuts to expire in about three years.

The measure to temporarily halt earmark spending failed 71-29. John McCain has made the issue a hallmark of his campaign, but he could get few of his GOP colleagues to go along. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were among only five Democrats to do so, the AP notes. McCain, who does not accept earmarks, called on Obama and Clinton to release their requests. Obama did so, then called on Clinton to do the same. (More Senate stories.)