Did the GOP Learn Its Lesson in November?

While much has been made of the "historic" "wave" "landslide" midterm election results, one thing nearly every poll confirmed was that the results were not an affirmation of Republicans, but instead a repudiation of the big spending Democrats.

The Republican push to end earmarks has been hailed as a sign that they were on the right track. But as Democrats and even some pork-addicted Republicans point out, earmarks make up such a tiny percentage of total spending that the value of an earmark ban is, though important, primarily symbolic.

This week, the current congressional Republicans will have their first real opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the fiscal conservatism that fueled the midterms' GOP wave, as Senate Democrats try to bring to a vote a $1.1 trillion "omnibus" spending bill to keep the government running.

The massive measure compiles 12 individual appropriations bills into one, and increases spending by billions of dollars. And that's just what's on the surface.

As is always the case with large-scale legislation, the devil is in the details. And this bill looks to be loaded with the same pork barrel extras that Congress tries to sneak in year after year.

The alternative to the omnibus bill is the stopgap measure passed by the House on Wednesday night, which would freeze spending at current levels and give the new Congress a chance to enact cuts in a few months. But even this sort of legislation has historically been packed with add-ons, and House Democrats have the votes to ensure that this year's bill is no different.

Clearly there is no way congressional Republicans can get any significant spending cuts through the lame duck session, but they absolutely should insist on a clean, pork-free spending freeze.

To do so, they need to stand united in opposition to the omnibus spending bill, and not let a few retiring legislators who want to bring home the bacon one last time wreck their credibility with the American people.