Video Transcript: (NAT/SOT) "I am unable to answer any questions" AFTER A CRINGE-INDUCING WEEK FOR DEMOCRATS..... (NAT/SOT) "Now they're saying I groped a male staffer, yeah I did" PARTY LEADERS IN THE HOUSE HOPE THIS DRAMATIC NEW BAN ON EARMARKS TO PRIVATE COMPANIES WILL HELP REPAIR THEIR IMAGE. (SOT-Nancy Pelosi -- yesterday) "I'm very proud of it". NOT TO BE OUTDONE, HOUSE REPUBLICANS ANNOUNCED THEY WOULDN'T REQUEST EARMARKS OF ANY KIND. (SOT-Rep Mike Pence, R-Indiana) House Republicans are making a clear break from the past. EARMARKS ARE FUNDS MEMBERS FUNNEL TO PET PROJECTS BY ATTACHING THEM TO LEGISLATION. (graphic #1/ lefty with bullets/ backdrop: pentagon) THIS YEAR'S DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL ALONE CONTAINED SEVENTEEN HUNDRED (1735) EARMARKS WORTH A 4.2 BILLION DOLLARS. (graphic out) (SOT-Rep. Norm Dicks) "We wanted to take this step so there is no appearance of an ethical question here." DEMOCRAT NORM DICKS WOULD KNOW. (graphic #2/ full screen-- seven members headshots with names --Dicks, Kaptur, Moran, Murtha, Tiahrt, Viscloskey,Young HE'S ONE OF SEVEN HOUSE MEMBERS WHO WERE JUST CLEARED LAST MONTH AFTER A LONG INVESTIGATION INTO EARMARKS THEY DIRECTED TO DONORS. (graphic out) THE PROBE EMBARRASSED DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ALIKE. SOT-(Ryan Alexander, Taxpayers for Common Sense) "I think they // saw that we've got to do something because we look like idiots to the public. We keep saying oh there's no problem with a campaign contribution in exchange for earmarks and nobody believes us anymore. MAKE NO MISTAKE, THERE WILL STILL BE LOTS OF LOOPHOLES. THE HOUSE BAN APPLIES ONLY TO EARMARKS TO BUSINESSES. MEMBERS COULD STILL REQUEST EARMARKS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, LIKE ALASKA'S INFAMOUS BRIDGE TO NOWHERE, OR EARMARKS TO NON-PROFITS LIKE THIS TEAPOT MUSEUM IN NORTH CAROLINA. AND SINCE THE BAN IS ONLY THE HOUSE, PRIVATE COMPANIES WILL SIMPLY GO TO THE SENATE WITH HAT IN HAND -- TO THE FRUSTRATION OF ANTI-EARMARK CRUSADER JOHN MCCAIN. (SOT-Sen. John McCain ) "why don't take the final step and put a moratorium on earmarks until we get have a balanced budget" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (CORDES LIVE TAG) BUT MOST SENATORS DO NOT APPEAR TO BE INTERESTED IN FOLLOWING THE HOUSE'S LEAD. STILL, GOVERNMENT WATCHDOGS CONSIDER THIS A SIGNIFICANT FIRST STEP KATIE.