Fiscal hawks set out to kill earmarks. They are very much alive.

Politico.com - For more and to sign up click here Fiscal conservatives in Congress threatened for months to block government funding if GOP leaders didn’t shun earmarks. They succeeded in scrapping just one; the rest, almost $16 billion worth, are slated in the package the Senate needs to clear by Friday to avoid a shutdown. Republican hard-liners on both sides of the Capitol have made things difficult this…