A recent X-ray of Dean Heller's soul.

Congressman Dean Heller hates/loves earmarks. And when it comes to doing the right/wrong thing, he’s not afraid to stand his ground/quietly hope nobody’s watching and courageously embrace the principles of a true Republican/get away with rank hypocrisy.

I’m sorry for all the double-talk. It’s just that my brain’s been hopelessly infected with a case of Helleritis, a red, itchy mind-rash in which you, say, vote against a federal budget because it’s presumably larded with too many earmarks, but — you know, just in case the bill passes the House, which it did — also sprinkle in some of your own juicy li’l earmarky bacon bits to haul back home.

According to Taxpayers for Common Sense’s number-crunchers, Heller put in at least six of his own earmarks to the tune of $1.6 million into last week’s federal spending bill … which he then voted against.

Call it savvy bet-hedging or political gamesmanship; no matter how you parse it, it’s totally jerky/lame. Here’s a free campaign slogan for his re-election campaign: “Dean Heller: Bringing home the bacon he’s adamantly opposed to.”