Senate clears omnibus bill

Shove it and move along.

A $409.6 billion omnibus appropriations bill cleared Congress Tuesday even as the White House pursued new steps to try to pare back the level of parochial spending projects attached to the budget each year.

President Barack Obama is expected to sign the measure into law quickly to avoid any disruption of government operations. But Democrats anticipate that he may use the signing to outline new earmark reforms and answer Republican critics led by his old rival Sen. John McCain** (R-Ariz.)

**You lost, you lost, you lost big time.