BUSINESS AS USUAL, AKA, GIVIN' THEM THE BUSINESS

Hey, whattaya know, it's another cave-in by House Democrats!

Seems that the House has approved another 800 zillion dollars to spend on the war no one supports. Meanwhile, the Dems will spin this as a "victory" because they were able to include some classic election year targeted spending -- college aid for returning troops, extension of unemployment benefits, aid for flood victims, etc.

Problem isProblems are, most of this aid should either (a) be granted anyway, or (b) not be granted at all. I mean, federal aid for the flood victims? Isn't that something the federal government does as a matter of course, without 11th hour compromises on unsupported wars? Or college aid for the returning troops? This is supposed to be a radical measure, a trade for continued war spending? I don't wanna sound too naive, but isn't that part of the promise they make to high school grads when they hoodwink them into joining the army in the first place?

And as for the 13 year extension of unemployment benefits, I'm sorry, but that's election year pork. Nothing more. This will sound cold, but it's a cold, hard fact: for the great majority of Americans getting clobbered in this stank-ass economy, a little fiscal responsibility on the part of the federal government (which is supported by those same citizens' inflation-damaged, heavily-leveraged tax dollars) will go a lot further than a mostly-symbolic extension of unemployment benefits. Take some action, any action to re-value the sinking dollar and those who've become unemployed will find jobs.

Meanwhile, further nonsense and . . . the war goes on. It's not like I'm voting Republican this November, nor would so much as suggest you do so either, but how on earth can I convince myself to vote for the majority of congressional Dems either? I can't.

What a mess.