I wholeheartedly believe the earmark situation is a congressional issue (read bipartisan). There is about a 60/40 split (Dem/Rep) in earmarks on the bill receiving all the press right now. The sense of entitlment from congressmen is amazing. They categorically state it is their "right" to do this. I find it almost physically sickening that it continues to occur from both sides while we attempting to navigate this crisis.
Congress knows full well they can hamstring POTUS on this. Without a line item veto it is either veto the bill, then have congress overide, or be held hostage by congress and let things grind to a halt. Then of course the inevitable PR connundrums of vetoing a bill that is needed to keep the government funded, or a defense spending bill. Those in opposition will cry how the President is holding things up by not passing a bill, but fail to mention that he is doing so because it is stuffed with pork. This has been going on since at least the 70s in a broad fashion.
So there is the conundrum. This is not a party problem but and indictment of congress and our political system at large. How to get change when members of both parties rabidly hold on their pork projects? I see no other solution than following the suggestions of others and sweeping out the incumbents with a mandate that newly elected members of congress conduct business differently. Perhaps believing that will work is naive too though.
I am hoping that change can come on this issue, but with both side holding greedily to there pork I think a long uphill battle is coming for the President. Lets make sure we put the responsibility of this where it truly is. None of this is new, and as with any ingrained system, change is going to take effort, commitment and time.