A First Time For Everything

For the first time in the "W. Era", The House of Representatives has voted to override a Presidential veto, and the Senate is expected to follow.

The battle is over a $23 billion water bill for projects to help the still devastated Gulf Coast, which is still trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina 2 years later. The bill has strong bipartisan support; 223 Democrats and 138 Republicans came together to vote to override Bush's veto. The 361-54 vote was more than the two-thirds needed to pass the override.

President Bush vetoed the bill saying that it was too expensive. This drew instant criticism from Democratic leaders. ""He doesn't pay for a single cent of that $196.4 billion [for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan]," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD). "But he says in order to develop the levees to save New Orleans that's cost us billions of dollars ... that's too much money."

"My administration has repeatedly urged the Congress to authorize only those projects and programs that provide a high return on investment and are within the three main missions of the Corps' civil works program: Facilitating commercial navigation, reducing the risk of damage from floods and storms and restoring aquatic ecosystems," Bush said. "This bill does not achieve that goal."

Some of the projects included in the rejected bill include reconstruction of levees around New Orleans and the closure of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, a man-made channel blamed for bringing Katrina's storm surge into the Big Easy's Lower 9th Ward.

My Opinion: A high return on investment? Yup, hundred of billions spent in Iraq has given us plenty of return. Oh yea, did I mention 2007 has been the deadliest year for US soldiers in Iraq? I'm so glad the President is so concerned with the continued depletion and extended tours of our already fatigued armed forces. Wasting money on something as trivial as the impoverished Gulf Coast? What are the Democrats thinking?!

I cannot wait for the Senate to override this veto and kick George W. Bush square in the pants. Congratulations to the Congress for standing up to the guru of responsible spending and doing what is right for the Gulf Coast and the United States. No more will important domestic issues be overshadowed by the politics of fear...I hope.