Sen. Mitch McConnell at CPAC, originally uploaded by Rob Bluey.

“Senator McConnell Delivers for Kentucky,” read the headline of a Dec. 19 press release from Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. The veteran appropriator wasted little time rolling out the release after passage of the mammoth omnibus spending bill, trumpeting the goodies he brought home with him in the $555 billion bill.

It’s a script that too many big-spending Republicans like McConnell follow every year; it’s so predictable, in fact, that Sen. John McCain called out his colleagues for doing it even before they voted for the pork-laden omnibus.

We’re sending the signal that it is more important for us to be able to issue press releases, and I’m sure hundreds of them will be going out today, about how much pork we’ve been able to get for our states and districts, than we are about good government and fiscal responsibility. How can we, in good conscience, defend this behavior to the American people?

The truth is that politicians can’t defend this behavior any longer. Year after year, taxpayers have heard multitudes from both sides of the aisle talk a good game of fiscal responsibility and then watched as most fled the field at every opportunity to block excessive spending.

McConnell was as guilty as anyone of fleeing the field — perhaps more so because of his leadership role. Now, the folks back home are beginning to notice. Louisville Courier-Journal columnist David Hawpe today contrasts the Heritage Foundation’s grim assessment of the omnibus with McConnell’s.

The Heritage Foundation’s stated mission could double as the Republican Party’s: “formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values and a strong national defense.” Just last week, it issued a broadside that differed dramatically from McConnell’s assessment of the first session of the 110th Congress.

He said, “We’ve been pretty successful,” not just at keeping Americans safe and ensuring their basic freedoms but also at “protecting their wallets and spending their money wisely.”

The Heritage Foundation’s view is different:

“Before leaving town for Christmas, Congress went on another budget-busting spending spree and charged all the goodies to the taxpayers.”

I guess that is one way to protect taxpayers’ wallets, at least for a while: Put everything on the federal government’s credit card.

I’m sure glad Hawpe is paying attention. Our team of fiscal watchdogs has been on overdrive for the past couple weeks, first trying to expose the pork projects, policy riders and budget gimmicks in the omnibus, and now trying to convince President Bush he should cancel lawmakers’ earmarks.

If Mitch McConnell is serious about “protecting their wallets and spending their money wisely,” then he’ll quit bragging about the pork he’s delivering for Kentuckians and get serious about ending the corrupting influence of earmarks.