I’m actually against a line-item veto in principle.

However, Congress has (and has had for years) this pesky little habit of attaching spending when that spending has nothing to do with the bill it's attached to. I’ve got a very big problem with that, as I suspect most rational people do.

If Congress can reel itself in and not attach highway funding to defense spending, or education spending on a bill for farm subsidies, then I’m fine without a line item veto. Unfortunately, I think it’s going to be a long time until they do that, so the bullshit we’ve enjoyed in the past is bullshit we’ll be able to look forward to in the future…

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Obama's New "57 State Patriotic Pin":




Sayeth John Drake - 10/13/08: "OK, you're right, I admit to LYING"

Our state Supreme Court and our lower courts have developed a long line of decisions giving the legislature a fairly wide latitude in deeming what constitutes the same subject; however, the legislature can only stretch it so far and sometimes our courts holds that the line gets crossed.

The most recent example of having crossed the line was a case recently won by a good friend and occasional co-counsel or adversary and in which I had advisory input given we both enjoy constitutional arguments, especially if it keeps Big Brother playing within its lawful boundaries.

The bill started off as an agricultural crop destruction bill but in midstream was morphed into a hate crime bill and enacted as such. One of the state's two intermediate courts held that the act violated the state constitutional requirement prohibiting changing a bill during the course of its passage so that its original purpose is changed and, moreover, that the subject matter of a bill be clearly expressed in its title.

Here is the court's decision:

http://www.courts.state.pa.us/OpPost...5_11-15-07.pdf

Acts deemed to violate these provisions are invalidated and must be reintroduced properly.

Interesting.

We had an amendment offered a few years back that would have prevented our legislature from declaring every bit of legislation an "emergency bill," which has allowed them to bypass other provisions of our constitution for a long time (CO constitution, that is). Unfortunately, it failed.

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When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

Congress makes laws...... the president merely approves or disapproves the law. The president has no business modifying the laws on his own.

There must be other ways of cutting the pork out.... Rules and restrictions need to be placed on congressional operation. If pork is allowed in any degree it should at least be regulated, limited, and transparent.

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Congratulations President-Elect Obama

Precisely. If a President sees immoral pork in a bill, he should refuse to sign in most cases.

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If a neocon whines about big government wealth redistribution, just ask him what he thinks about the portion of that big government that sends aid to Israel.

The only flaw I see in that logic is that we cannot trust the president, he House OR the Senate. At least not completely.

The government is supposed to create and pass laws for OUR benefit. The very least we can do is pay ATTENTION to them and object to the very things we are discussing here.

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Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.

They sounds simple but what they do is wait for a bill that they know everyone wants passed. They attach the pork to it to insure their special interests get taken care of. Both sides do it.

That's why it is their job to avoid voting for such bills altogether, pointing out the pork they don't like. That way, they will either be forced into a deadlock or into splitting all the issues into individual bills.

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If a neocon whines about big government wealth redistribution, just ask him what he thinks about the portion of that big government that sends aid to Israel.

If the President did get the line item, all congress would have to do is drown him/her in paper-work, effectivly neutering them anyways. Kinda like the Roman Senate did with the Ceasers.

I know but some bills have to get passed and it all takes time. If it doesnt get passed and it has to go thru the whole process, it would take too much time. I totally agree, I wish something could be done.

Wishing won't cut it. Since public opinion seems to be lost on these people, we have to start voting against any and all incumbents until they get the message.

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Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.

You both have a good point.

I wonder what the real solution is.


Heck, I wonder if it's even possible for asingle human being to read every page of legislation that's passed out in Congress.

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When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

Congress doesn't read all that stuff THEMSELVES. They voted in the Patriot Act even though it was plopped on their desks a few hours before the vote.

I can't expect most of us to read, or comprehend most of the bills they write, but we do have the next best thing in credible people who give us the gist of it all. Too bad we don't read THAT either.

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Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.

And what a pile of shit that thing is.

I guess politicians will have to be more careful in terms of how much pork they include.

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If a neocon whines about big government wealth redistribution, just ask him what he thinks about the portion of that big government that sends aid to Israel.