Shortly after the inauguration of President Obama, a page on ethics proposals was posted on the White House. Included was a commitment to cut Congressional earmarks to $7.8 billion, back to their 1994 levels and a nearly 75% cut from 2006 levels. 

Two days later the page was removed. 

The pledge to cut earmarks to this level was apparently made during the presidential campaign, in response to Senator McCain’s promise to eliminate them altogether. It was buried in Obama’s campaign website, and then transferred on to the White House web practically verbatim after the election. 

The most likely reason for its removal? Obama probably did not want to pick a fight with Democratic leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committee, who had set forth their own earmark reforms less than two weeks before. Obama will need their support for passage of the stimulus package next month and the regular appropriations bills later in the year. At this point, it looks like leaders of the Congressional Appropriations Committee are ready to ignore the issue, and Obama is willing to take it off the table – or off the White House website, as the case may be.