Drunk With Power

Behind the wheel, headed off a cliff and he wants more acceleration as he teeters on the edge. This man has spent more money, wasted more lives, wreaked more world havoc than any non mustachioed leader in recent history, and now he wants the ability to usurp more of Congress' duties.

CNN.com - Bush wants line-item veto power - Mar 6, 2006: "'Congress gave the president the line-item veto in 1996, but because with problems the way the law was written, the Supreme Court struck it down,' Bush said. 'That should not be the end of the story.'

Bush announced his plan, which he first revealed in his State of the Union address a month ago, at the swearing-in ceremony for Edward Lazear, the new chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.

Bush has not vetoed any legislation during five years in office, but he said the line-item veto would help 'reduce wasteful spending, reduce the budget deficit and ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.'
Earlier version struck down

The earlier version of the line-item veto allowed Clinton to single-handedly strike parochial projects and special interest tax breaks. It was passed by Congress as one of the key planks of the GOP's 'Contract With America.'

Instead, Bush is proposing that he be allowed to send Congress proposals to strike earmarks from spending bills and special interest tax breaks and that Congress be required to bring them to a vote. Constitutional scholars say this version should pass muster with the Supreme Court.

Lawmakers' enthusiasm for the earlier veto power waned sharply in 1997 after Clinton used it gently against a handful of special interest tax provisions and about 80 earmarks from spending bills, leading some lawmakers to change their minds."

Dude, you used up your "line" items in your misspent youth and you never should have thrown that veto threat over the Dubai port incident. Congress isn't interested in helping you anymore, they aren't going to let you have any more power than you can steal. Party of fiscal responibility, ha!

Party, party, party is more like it. I can't decide if the Republicans are using Nero or Marie Antoinette as their hero, but whichever one it is, average Americans will be the ones who pay the price.

Tags: Bush, line item veto,