In his address to Congress last night, President Obama said he was "proud that we passed the recovery plan free of earmarks," adding that next year, he wants to pass a budget "that ensures that each dollar we spend reflects only our most important national priorities.

Left out was any mention of the pending omnibus legislation before Congress, which most would concede is not free of earmarks, and contains appropriations that could not be considered the most important national priorities. And at a time when the president is calling for tough choices in the face of a trillion dollar deficit, the bill would increase government spending at a rate of more than 8 percent, according to some estimates.

Today, press secretary Robert Gibbs said that Obama "remains concerned" about earmarks, and defended what he said were his strong anti-pork bona fides. But "without having looked specifically at a piece of legislation," Gibbs said he was "hesitant to throw out that four-letter word veto."

"We saw over a period of years the great expansion of the number of earmarks that were considered and improved by Congress. There has been in the past few years a downward trend that line," Gibbs said. "The president hopes to continue that downward trend."

Not addressing what is widely considered a pork-laden omnibus bill has left the White House open to charges of hypocrisy. Minority Leader John Boehner urged Obama to veto the bill today on the House floor.

"I think all of my colleagues know that American families and small businesses, they're struggling. They're tightening their belt. And what are we doing here?" he asked. "We're bringing nine appropriation bills to the floor all wrapped into one big bill eight percent over the amount spent last year, including some 9,000 earmarks. I just think this is out of control."

Spokesmen for the White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have not responded to questions about whether the subject came up during a meeting between the president and Democratic leaders today.