Over at Esquire former Bush speechwriter David Frum has a sensible suggestion for President Obama: create an infrastructure bank to select and pay for transportation projects on the basis of merit instead of allowing meddlesome congressional earmarking. This would, theoretically, protect the obvious need for economically stimulative infrastructure investment from conservative complaints about wasteful, politically motivated spending. “I'd suggest we have seven directors of the bank,” writes Frum. “Three would be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.”

As anyone who has followed the various political dramas involving presidential on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, or, for that matter, the Supreme Court can tell you, presidential appointees are not immune from making politically motivated decisions, much less accusations of doing so....