I just want to second every one of Jonah's points. The idea that government corruption and lobbying will somehow be cured by a ban on earmarks or even a real war on pork is delusional. The fundamental issue is that of entitlements, and the general role of government. Once Republicanism became comfortable with wielding big government for its own pro-corporate or pro-religious ends, once it embraced the idea of Washington shaping people's souls and businesses, once it became concerned with out-Democrating the Democrats in the welfare state, then the parasite culture of D.C. could take off. There's nothing to restrain it now. Abramoff is the symptom, not the disease. What Karl Rove and George W. Bush have done to conservatism is the disease.