Just because seven House members who sit on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee are facing an ethics investigation doesn't mean they've change the way they do business. This blurb from "Under the Influence" says much about how little Members of Congress are fazed by the ethics process:

"The disclosure that seven House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee members are being scrutinized for their ties to PMA Group, a now-defunct lobbying firm that raised money for lawmakers and won earmarks for clients, is not expected to have a chilling effect on negotiations to reach agreement on a final FY10 Defense spending bill," CongressDaily AM (subscription) reports. "According to analysts for watchdog groups that monitor the appropriations process, House-Senate discussions are probably too far along for negotiators to start weeding out earmarks."