The Republican majorities in both chambers of the legislature have refused to pass tax reform, education reform, and anything else that even hints at reform. But they're all for pork. The legislature passed a $5.5 billion budget full of pork-barrel projects, even as the state carries an unconstitutional debt on its books.

But Sanford hasn't developed any taste for the pork-barrel spending that helps career politicians and hurts the average taxpayer. So he vetoed 106 items in the budget.

Unfortunately, legislators quickly overrode nearly every veto. And so, the very next day, Governor Sanford visited the capitol carrying two little piglets named "Pork" and "Barrel" to dramatize the spending problem. Legislators were not amused; they ferociously attacked the governor for the "insulting" event.

Citizens Against Government Waste, meanwhile, gave the South Carolina Legislature its Porker of the Month Award for June, and defended Governor Sanford, commenting, "It's ironic that a harmless joke is called 'insulting' but reckless spending is considered respectable."

I'm not sure that's irony. But whatever we call it, we know what it really is. Sanford sagely remarked about his little stunt, "I think the average guy out there will get it."

This is Common Sense. I'm Paul Jacob.

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