This just in from the department of I Am Not Making This Up: After all the work to pass an ethics and lobbying reform bill, and passing both houses of Congress by overwhelming margins, President Bush is hesitant about signing the bill.

The White House, according to the Los Angeles Times, is worried that the bill doesn't go far enough to shed light on earmarks. White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore told the Times the administration "was concerned that the earmark provisions were not 'as strong as we'd like.' As to whether Bush would sign it, she said, 'We're continuing to review the legislation.'

What?

When I first heard this, I thought: Since when did Bush care about a bill to change Senate ethics rules? About the same time he decided Dick Cheney was in the legislative branch and not the executive branch?

UPDATE: The House this morning passed a new lobbying and ethics reform bill, 411-8. This vote sets up a cloture vote in the Senate on Thursday that will determine whether the bill makes it to the president's desk for his signature. (James)

A new ethics bill, negotiated by House and Senate Democrats, is on its way through Congress this week.

The new bill came up after Senate Republicans, incluidng Jim DeMint, R-SC, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, objected to appointing conferees for the ethics and lobbying bills (S 1, HR 2316) both passed by the House and Senate.

This bill requires increased disclosure of bundled campaign contributions from lobbyists. But the information will be filed with the Federal Election Commission instead of the House and Senate.

The reporting requirements for bundled campaign contributions are triggered when lobbyists steer more than $15,000 worth of federal campaign contributions within six months, or $30,000 within a year.

People often say that Congress only makes big changes when faced with consensus or crisis. This must be the reason why we have no progress to report today on ethics reforms.

Apparently, there's no consensus to produce an ethics and lobbying reform bill or a revamped House ethics process. And there must not be a crisis -- notwithstanding the recent indictment of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) ongoing federal investigations involving Reps. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) and John Doolittle (R-CA) and the recent news that Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) had been hanging out with alleged prostitutes. Nah, just business as usual on the Hill.

But as members have the aroma of jet fumes dancing in their heads -- the month-long August recess is approaching -- there may be a new ethics and lobbying reform bill in the next two weeks.