Dramatic rise in pork-barrel spending (now called earmarking).

"In 1994 there were 1,500 such projects stuffed into Democratic spending bills, and Republicans called this a fiscal disgrace. This year Republicans approved closer to 15,000 earmarks at a cost of more than $10 billion."

Explaining that Republicans lost their way and paid heavily for it in the 2006 congressional elections, the Wall Street Journal called for the GOP to select a new generation of fiscally responsible leaders.