Rand Paul Is OK With Earmarks (for His State)

Tea Party candidates such as Rand Paul were emphatic in their campaigns about the evils of earmarks and the need to eliminate them. But Paul, the senator-elect from Kentucky, has developed some flexibility on the subject. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he said that while earmarks are a bad "symbol," he will push for earmarks for Kentucky, as long as the earmarks are sought and voted on in public. "I will advocate for Kentucky's interests," he said. That change of heart may comfort Kentucky colleges and universities that -- in an Inside Higher Ed analysis of earmarks this year -- did quite well with earmarks.