There are two great big honking aces in the hole:

1) The Congressional initiatives have popular (and still growing) support (and letting your Congresspeople know that they have and still have support for working to wind down and stop the atrocity which the woebegone adminsitartion has set loose on the planet is more than recommended — it is essential).

2) After six years of bellowing “Fear, fear!” each time the woebegone G. Walker administation trots out that swaybacked horse as a tactic it serves to throw into sharp relief their copious lack of ability and accomplishment.

One more time: If vetoes, come back with it again. And again. And again, including upping the ante — the history of this administration clearly, in bold face, screams that nods to “compromise” or “bipartisanhip” mean nothing to them other than concepts to be given lip service and then promptly ignored and trod into the dirt.

Last November, we the people did not vote for doormats.

Not to be overlooked as well is that, when dealing with a culture awash and steeped in (and ever on the hunt for) cash, greenmail can be an effective (if distasteful) strategy of intervention.

The current stalemate resembles that battle, but with the tables turned. It is now Congress-ruling Democrats who are defying a Republican president’s veto threat. Both the House and Senate have passed bills to provide money for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they include timetables for withdrawing U.S. forces that Bush says he will not accept. Article

Noted FYI: US Defense Expenditures Could Exceed $700 Billion. And, as always, mention is made that the figures leave out so-called ‘black budget’ secret appropriations.

Bullpuckey. If the White House claims ignorance or the “nobody could have anticipated a recess” crap, and expect anyone other than a retarded Venusian to accept it (and not also immediately question the competence of those in the White House), they’re self-painted as bigger boobs than their harshest critics portray.

“The president was surprised to learn that Congress went on vacation today,” said White House deputy spokeswoman Dana Perino. Article