Soon after Congress passed an omnibus spending bill last week, awatchdog agency was proclaiming the kings of pork and decryingtheir ability to funnel federal money for pet projects back totheir home areas.

Along with Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, Mississippi’s Sen. ThadCochran was labeled by the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Senseas the Senate’s biggest sponsor of pet project spending. Whilesponsoring $773 million in earmarks for projects across thecountry, the Republican Cochran was credited with helping steeraround $18 million just for airport, bus, highway and othertransportation-related projects to Magnolia State communities.

There’s bad news and good news to be found on the pet projectspending front.

The bad news is that federal lawmakers’ penchant for porkremains almost unabated during a time when the war, health care andother broad umbrella projects are also competing for cash. DespiteDemocratic efforts to make the earmark process more transparent,about $7.4 billion found its way into the final bill to fund petprojects across the country.

The good news in the situation is that – thanks in large part toCochran’s seniority – Mississippi is getting a substantial share ofthe money. Fellow Mississippian Trent Lott, who retired last weekafter 35 years in elected office, has also played a big role inbringing home the bacon.

Critics contend lawmakers’ pet projects should compete withother proposals equally, with funding then determined based on needand worthiness.

Really? And just how much funding for special needs projects dothe critics think a small, sparsely populated state likeMississippi would get in that scenario?

The answer to that question illustrates why it is so importantfor states like Mississippi to keep returning lawmakers to officeand allowing them to build up seniority and clout in Congress. Theanswer is also evidence as to why Lott’s retirement will have a bigimpact on the state.

So is it the job of a senator or congressman from Mississippi toensure a place for this state at the federal feed trough?

Absolutely not. But at the same time, we don’t see anyone elsestepping away from the pork buffet any time soon.

Critics and a handful of congressional crusaders can railagainst earmarks and call for an end to the practice. The problemis the practice may be too ingrained and lawmakers too addicted tostop.

So until everyone removes their hands from the federal petproject funding cookie jar, neither Mississippi nor any other statehas any incentive to stop consuming. Therefore, the feeding frenzycontinues with everyone expecting their share.