Of course he would do that. It would help the majority of Americans , and not the majority of the richest Americans.

If I were a representative, I would not hesitate to cut off funding to Bush for this war. The President is just not a very good leader. His policies make no sense. He is not respected by many in and out of this country but yet we keep giving him funds to run this war. I am running out of patience with our elected officials not Bush though. We know who he is, but can't continue to cover for him my saying we support the troops. Supporting the troops have long ago past us. We should have done that when he vetoed the military bill that provided increases in pay and benefits for the military. Our elected officials should have heard from us with a march on DC when we found out that there was no WMD. Impeachment proceedings should have been started with this President a long time ago no matter how painful it is to most Americans. We are failing the troops not just Bush. Now supporting the troops means getting them home. No money, then we may forced him to bring them home.

For the last few years, the only news leaking out of the US is about war, money for the war and more money for the war.

Is there anything substantial this administration has done for the benefit of the average, working person in America ?

I doubt the war in Iraq makes America safer or unsafer, but security is just one issue for an admin. You elect them to IMPROVE your way of life. At least this is the goal for most democratic countries in the western culture.

this story should be front and center on huffpo.

in this year's budget, bush has sought to cut in half the already tiny $2B budget for home heating assistance for low income families. the one silver lining to global warming is that this winter is predicted to be warmer than normal, so maybe the families left without heat won't be quite as cold.

energy legislation before the congress was stripped of its provisions that gave tax breaks to alternative forms of energy. every single tax benefit for pursuing and implementing ways of reducing our dependence on foreign fossil fuels was taken out completely.

by some estimates, the american infrastructure of roads, schools, public sanitation, hospitals and public buildings is so broken it will take approximately $1.6 trillion dollars to bring it back up to existing building code standards.

expenditures on this war have reached nearly $1 *trillion* dollars. 40 days of it would have funded the SCHIP program for an entire year. Just 40 days.

what is just as confounding as the idea of shoveling all this money at war instead of peace, is how *willingly* the right wing spends money like water on death and destruction, and how adamantly they balk at spending it on things to enhance and even simply ensure a meager quality of life for all citizens.

where is this meanness coming from? have we become so consumed with hate ourselves that we will continue to allow our tax money to be used to kill instead of to provide medicine to sick children, food to starving families, education for all, shelter for those without a home?

what have we turned into that we have allowed our government to become so tyrannical and inhuman that it values death over life?

"Penny wise and pound foolish"

How much surplus did he inherit? How much is unaccounted for in Iraq? How much are we paying for 'no bid' contracts in Iraq?

We can't afford health care or educational spending for children? Who raised this doofus???

Bush wants to fund war, which has cost us over $1 trillion and growing. If he'd put as much into quality of life as he does into death, we'd be so much better off!

Doug,

I may not be as bothered about your opinion as many here, but I do not find it remotely persuasive. It is clear that you are a libertarian or at least have strong leanings in that direction. I find your ideology simplistic for a number of reasons.

A "society" is a social enterprise by its very nature. A social arrangement always involves the sacrifice of certain freedoms in return for certain securities. You say you are for limited government. Where does that start and end? Who decides? Why are economic entities treated as superior than personal choices? Libertarian ideology places the onus on non-monied entities to collaborate and respond to the whims or actions of the monied. They DO place money in a position of privilege. Why is this acceptable?

Libertarianism demands perfect behavior from citizens so as not to become exploitative as opposed to regulatory measures from the state. Why is this preferable since the state represents (or is supposed to) the ideas of the majority of citizens. You say socialism fails but believe no regulation is success? Why? What makes you think such a system is possible or desirable?

And WHY NOT?
Bush isn't about "education and health".

Bush-Cheney = CORRUPTION + PROFITEERING. Endless war is the easiest way to shovel all the USTreasury TRILLIONS to themselves & pals.
CORPORATE WELFARE QUEENS rule.

The president described the legislation as "bloated," nearly $10 billion higher than he considers necessary. He particularly took issue with its 2,000 earmarks _ lawmaker-sponsored projects that critics call pork-barrel spending _ and noted the "wasteful projects" included a prison museum, a sailing school and Portugese-as-a-second-language program.

We really need that prison museum and portugeses as a second language is so important.

He's one tough stud isn't he? HA! Keep denying the children of this country - that's a great plan for our future.

Think of all the people that will have cause to rejoice when bush dies:

the poor
the uneducated
the sick
the soldiers, sailors and airmen of our nation
working people
the uninsured
the middle class
minorities
the citizens of the world

and who will morn his passing?

rich old white war-mongers and other corporate whores.

george bush is a threat to world peace and prosperity and a stain on the fabric of our nation.

There's talk again on the Defeatocrat side of the aisle about holding their breath until Pres Bush gives into a timeline for Iraq. Since withdrawals are pretty much on a predetermined timetable Pres Bush should VETO the funding legislation and then tell the American people he is withdrawing troops, but the Defeatocrats won't support it. He can have his cake and eat it too!

Hi,

Does it matter that the financing of the wars in Iraq and Afganistan is "off the budget" (completely by borrowing)?? Adding to the national debt which has doubled in the past six years?

Four items for Bush's legacy: war in Iraq, doubling of national debt, veto health care (SCHIP) and veto health and education of Americans!!

Can we find out how much is in the Iraq "emergency" spending bill to take care of health needs and educate Iraqis and Afganis??

What do U think??

Bush is nothing but a lying clown (so much for family values). When congress was controlled by the repubs' they spent taxpayer money like drunken sailors, now little boy George, (with canned applause) is "outraged" that his idiot repugs do not control congress anymore. He probably has Senator Craig tapping his approval along with Mith McConnel and Lindsey Graham, both still hiding in the closet.

He says he vetoes to keep himself 'relevant', yeah, nice job!

While he does that, he keeps 300 million of us IRRELEVANT!