An item in CQ midday update mentions resistance to a line item veto for President Bush from Congressman Jerry Lewis R-CA-41st Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Also, Congressman Joe Knollenberg, R-MI-9th Chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee with oversight on the White House Office of Management and Budget expressed uncertainity about handing so much power to the President.
March 31st I sent an LTE to the Columbus Dispatch pointing out that Ohio Gov. candidate Ken Blackwell has signed Americans for Tax Reform Pledge, something he has in common with President Bush and 1500 other legislators around the country. I asked voters to think about the consequence of signing a pledge to do something before you know the full circumstance of a situation. Ken Blackwell signed the pledge, but we Ohio citizens will live with the consequence if he is our next governor.
For proof, just look at how bad a shape the U.S. budget is in these days. We are in debt to the third generation to pay for things that happened on our watch. President Bush has to borrow from Social Security funds, foreign countries, and sell off valuable infrastructure to pay for the war on terrorism, the war in Iraq, fund health and education programs, he wants to find a new energy source but there isn't any money to pay for the research so we borrow, he has promised to give states money for upgrading the voting system but where will the money come from he gives the states, probably Japan. The levees in Louisiana will cost who knows how much and Homeland Security.... the airport runways need revamped, highways, railroads need repair the list of necessary costs grows and grows and the legislators won't do anything to raise money the old fashioned way to pay for these items. Their hands are tied on account of the pledge they signed.
This is nuts. I'm no lawyer but if it isn't illegal it ought to be. The only pledge an elected legislator should honor is their" Oath of Office" and their marriage vows.
Now to get back to that line item veto request, it seems to me if President Bush wants more power he can take back that ATR pledge and get on with the business of governing the USA with a full set of tools.
