Senate Votes to Continue Earmark Favor Factory

In a disappointing turn, the Senate voted last night against the DeMint amendment for a moratorium on earmarks for the 2009 fiscal year.  The good guys voting for the ban:

Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bayh (D-IN)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coburn (R-OK)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feingold (D-WI)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McCaskill (D-MO)
McConnell (R-KY)
Obama (D-IL)
Sessions (R-AL)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thune (R-SD)

Among the votes to continue business as usual, the most disappointing were erstwhile conservatives and good-government types Sens. Hagel, Brownback, Crapo, Craig, Bunning, Hutchison, Lugar, Wicker, Shelby, and Vitter.  Still, Sen. DeMint and his allies deserve a huge cheer for advancing the issue this far in the face of tremendous institutional opposition.  Given progress in the House and within the Bush Administration, this fight isn’t over.