for what it's worth: folks have Florida politics to thank for term 'pork' becoming synonymous with legislative 'self-interest'...
At mid-century, state was characterized by contrast between expanding urbanism (suburbanism, really, FL doesn't correspond to Hofstadter's point about US being born in country and moving to city) and rural dominated state legislature. FL had one of most malapportioned assemblies in US at that time.
In 1955, columnist James Clendinen of Tampa Tribune newspaper charged rural opponents of reapportionment that would have reflected state's changing demography with 'fighting for pork rather than principle.' Clendinen began referring to this group as 'pork chop gang' and term caught on... Michael Hoover