Senate sends big spending bill to Bush to sign

[rgcraig]

Senate sends big spending bill to Bush to sign By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 20 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Automakers gained $25 billion in taxpayer-subsidized loans and oil companies won elimination of a long-standing ban on drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as the Senate passed a sprawling spending bill Saturday.

The 78-12 vote sent the $634 billion measure to President Bush, who was expected to sign it even though it spends more money and contains more pet projects than he would have liked.

The measure is needed to keep the government operating beyond the current budget year, which ends Tuesday. As a result, the legislation is one of the few bills this election year that simply must pass. Bush's signature would mean Congress could avoid a lame-duck session after the Nov. 4 election.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080927/...gress_spending

[HappyTown]

What was 3 pages long, now it’s already 102 pages long. Looks like pork politics to me (again).

[Sam]

What ever happened to the line item veto?

[Praxeas]

Bush is a Democrat

[rgcraig]

What I think is pathetic is they took advantage of this crisis and included all the other JUNK they wanted in the bill.

I think it's time to wipe out the Congress and start over - - the President isn't the problem.

[JaneEyre]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

What I think is pathetic is they took advantage of this crisis and included all the other JUNK they wanted in the bill.

I think it's time to wipe out the Congress and start over - - the President isn't the problem.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not promoting anarchy but this is from the Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments
are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of
the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new
Government, laying its foundation on such principles and
organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most
likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. . . ."

[HappyTown]

Just read this

Wall Street firms have shared profits liberally with employees. The five biggest — Goldman, Morgan Stanley, Merrill, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and Bear Stearns — paid their 185,687 employees $66 billion in 2007, as problems with subprime mortgages mounted, including about $39 billion in bonuses. That amounts to average pay of $353,089 per employee, including an average bonus of $211,849. The five firms had combined net income of $93 billion during the five years through 2007.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=LEH%3AUS

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

What I think is pathetic is they took advantage of this crisis and included all the other JUNK they wanted in the bill.

I think it's time to wipe out the Congress and start over - - the President isn't the problem.

He is part of the problem. They all are. They watched this perfect storm way way before it got bad. THEN was the time to act, not after the fact.

[Praxeas]

We have the hugest debt under Bush. Our Dollar has sunk lower than I can ever remember under Bush. This is a spend spend spend administration, even without a war.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

what i think is pathetic is they took advantage of this crisis and included all the other junk they wanted in the bill.

i think it's time to wipe out the congress and start over - - the president isn't the problem.

bingo!