If congressional Democrats don't want to vote for such things, they shouldn't vote for them. And if they do, they should stop pretending that they're some kind of meaningful alternative to the Republicans they replaced last year.

About as concise a summary of the logical conclusion from the last nine months of the Democratic Congress as I've seen. It doesn't matter what the Dems promise on the stump if they can't, or won't, stand up for what they claim are their principles. In the 2002, 2004, and 2006 elections, those of us of an independent bent were told that a vote for a third party candidate was effectively a vote for the Republicans. As we've seen this year, so was a vote for the Democrats.

The excuse that hey haven't got sixty votes in the Senate, or a veto-proof majority has worn thin. Sometimes you need to fight even when you know that you're going to lose in the end, but this gang seems to have been completely cowed. Back in last November, I said that they'd need to work with the Republicans, and they do, but working together doesn't mean that they should roll on their backs and wet themselves like scared puppies whenever Junior and his minions threatened to say nasty things about them.

The Democratic platform is different from the Republicans and I'm sure that they mean well and at least they've served as a brake on some of BushCo's worst abuses, but somehow I was expecting a little more from them than two years of excuses.

Second, the additional $46 billion the president seeks today is about one-and-a-half times as much as the amount Bush says the government can't possibly spend over the next five years on the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

C'mon guys, Junior only ever said he wanted to be a "War President", he never said he wanted to be a "Sick Kids President".

As pointed out, it's just a matter of understanding priorities. For this maladministration, killing people is more important than helping them (unless they're one of the "Haves and Have-Mores", then we just can't do enough).

"I'm not worried about the number," Perino said."What I'm worried about is making sure that the president gets what he needs in order to provide the safety and security for the country."

Well I imagine that Dana's not worried about the number because her boss isn't worried. Her boss isn't worried because he isn't planning to be there when the bill comes due.

Every time I hear one of the Republidroid congressfools talk about "tax and spend libruls" I'm so glad that Junior is a borrow and spend conservative, that way we get a pair of wonderful foreign adventures *and* a dollar that has all the strength of the old Italian lira.

Feeling safer and more secure yet?

"I didn't get a chance to sit down on that, but I'll check. . . .

"I can't remember exactly what our position is. . . .

Well Dana, apparently your position is not sitting, but it seems that's news to you.

God, this is enough to make you wish for the return of Ari Fleischer or Tony Snow. They, at least, took the time and effort to lie and dodge the question well. Perino just goes through the motions and falls back behind the Sgt. Schultz defense.

She's Junior's mouthpiece, I'd expect her to be more informed than her boss.

We are ruled by emotional cripples and moral cowards. Why are we surprised that a little boy who thought tormenting frogs was great fun grew up into a man who feels that torturing people is OK if it gets him what he wants?

And why are we surprised that he can get toadies to serve as an amen corner?

Would this be the same interview in which Darth stated that he was sure a Republican would win the Presidency in '08?

I would say that this was just another sign of the bunker mentality that these people have. Not unlike the people in the Fuerherbunker expecting non-existent divisions and army corps to come and beat the Soviets at the last minute and save Berlin, paving the way to final victory. But there's always that niggling doubt that Junior may pull a Musharraf next October. I don't claim it's likely, but only a fool would discount it completely.

But then again, he could just be whistling past the graveyard of the "permanent Republican majority" and hoping he can avoid the ICC.

Clinton has said that she opposes a "rush to war" in Iran and that Kyl-Lieberman was "not anything other than an expression of support for using economic sanctions with respect to diplomacy."

Fool me once, won't get fooled again, right Hil?

As I was driving to a job site this afternoon, one of the local NPR affiliates (KUOW, Seattle) was broadcasting a program on cutting off aid to Pakistan. If I recall correctly, 75% of US aid is for the military, 15% is for day-to-day government operations, and 10% is for development aid. Guess which portion is going to get cut. I'll bet you got it in one - the development aid is history. Boy, what a way to win friends and influence people. Well actually, I suppose that it will influence people.

I swear to god ladies and germs, I'm not cynical, just experienced.