Conferees Appointed

Don't expect the stimulus bill to improve while the kinks are worked out between the House and Senate versions of the bill. It's likely to get a whole lot worse (meaning more expensive, filled with pork) judging those who have been appointed to conference.

These are your conferees, folks:

Senate: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.), Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D.-Montana), Finance Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R.-Iowa), Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D.-Hawaii), Appropriations Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R.-Miss.)

House: Ways & Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D.-N.Y.), Ways & Means Ranking Member David Camp (R.-Mich.), Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D.-Ohio), Appropriations Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R.-Calif.), Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D.-Calif.)

You see that? Appropriations Chairmen and Ranking Members from both chambers have seats at the table. That means there's probably going to be a whole lot more pork shoved in the bill while these guys are getting together.

After these men finish their negotiations their version of the bill will be sent back to the House and the Senate for a final vote. If it passes both chambers, it will be sent to President Obama to be signed into law.