The Washington Post, December 16: "[A]s voter angst about runaway deficits grew before the midterm elections, Republicans turned against the earmark practice."

The Washington Post's October 25-28 poll found that only seven percent of likely voters identified the deficit as the most important issue driving their votes. Seven percent. S-e-v-e-n.

By comparison, 37 percent identified the economy as their primary concern. That's thirty percentage points more, but you'd never know it from the media's deficit obsession.