Bush Won't Issue an Executive Order on Earmarks

This is disappointing. I was hoping Bush would decisively challenge Congress on earmarks but it appears he's decided against it:

President Bush is unlikely to defy Congress on spending billions of dollars earmarked for pet projects, but he will probably insist that lawmakers provide more justification for such earmarks in the future, administration officials said Monday.

Fiscal conservatives in Congress and budget watchdogs have been urging Mr. Bush to issue an executive order instructing agencies to disregard the many earmarks listed just in committee reports, not in the text of legislation.

More than 90 percent of earmarks are specified that way, not actually included in the texts. White House officials say such earmarks are not legally binding on the president.

Congressional leaders of both parties, who are scheduled to meet on Tuesday with the president, said Mr. Bush would provoke a huge outcry on Capitol Hill if he ignored those earmarks.

So what? It's fight that needs to be fought, but if Bush won't challenge them now, earmarks will continue to be added in increasing numbers by a Congress that fears neither the White House nor the voters.