Inouye grits his teeth and takes a hit for the team

There’s more to Sen. Daniel K. Inouye’s recent earmarks ban than meets the eye. That’s true of most Washingtonian activity.

Could he be calling tea partiers on their anti-spending rhetoric?

Given the president’s vow to veto any bill with earmarks, is he trying to discourage someone from attaching earmarks as a poison pill to kill unwanted legislation?

There could be all these political calculations, and then some.

But superficially, at least, it’s got to pain him to do this. Inouye’s always been famous for bringing home the bacon for Hawaii. He’s no sooner ensconced as the appropriations chief than he’s denied one of the job’s primary perks: pork-barrel privileges. For now, this little piggy’s gone home.

SPAM fan can win $1,000

And speaking of pork — or whatever you call that beloved mystery meat — Hawaii is about to get its due in the world of SPAM: its own, locally designed can.

If years of eating SPAM and eggs, SPAM musubi and SPAM-kebab have fueled your imagination, you can submit your idea online (www.hawaiispamcan.com).

Prizes include $1,000, a gift bag, a case of the stuff and having the design on SPAM Less Sodium cans throughout the state.

Of course, the true Hawaii devotee would insist on every last milligram of sodium, but those are the rules.