Conservatives Making Ground?

I've never really cared much for Robert Novak, but there's no denying he's an insider with lots of connections. This column (via Real Clear Politics) is some good insider baseball stuff and it seems to show conservatives within Congress may be getting the upper hand. Lead by Sen. Tom Coburn (whom I love) in the Senate and Rep. Dennis Hasert and Majority Lead John Boehner in the House, establishment types such as Sen. Thad Cochran and Rep. Jerry Lewis are being called to the carpet for their spending and are losing the battle:

Terrified by possible loss of their majorities in November, Republicans in Congress may have turned a corner in casting off the tyranny of the appropriators over the spending process. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert exerted his will, and newly installed Majority Leader John Boehner registered his first triumph. In scoring his first floor victory over an earmark, Coburn showed he is more than a nuisance freshman senator and, allied with Sen. John McCain, a force to be reckoned with.[...]

On Thursday, Coburn proposed to eliminate $15 million for "seafood promotion strategy." McCain told the Senate: "Let me save the American taxpayers $125 million right now by telling all Americans now to eat seafood. Eat seafood. It is good for you." When Coburn rejected Cochran's call for a voice vote, the normally calm Appropriations chairman in a fury made a non-debatable tabling motion to kill Coburn's proposal. The astounding outcome was a 51 to 44 bipartisan victory for Coburn and McCain, following years of failure in such initiatives.

More please.