Jim Matheson, the Democratic representative from Utah, signed on to legislation that would give Bush his line-item veto.
What a tool.
If you ask me, this piece of legislation will offer the executive branch too much control over specifics in the budget. Yes, it might prevent a few earmarks here and there, but by and large it's going to give the executive an unprecedented power over the fiscal budgeting process that goes on in the house.
The last thing a Democrat should be doing is giving this Administration an extra door to interfere with the legislative branch. And I could chide Republicans about voting for it by reminding them that they wouldn't want a Democrat to have this power over them either. I think it's just going to cause problems.
2 comments:
Every president asks for the line item veto. Clinton did. I think Jefferson was the first president to ask for it. Methinks you are seeing partisanship where there is none.
I agree that it gives the president too much power. This is one of the few issues that cross party lines.
The line item veto is generally pushed by fiscal conservatives as they see it as a way to curb spending. It is generally opposed by people who favor a strong legislature. Right now the Democrats seem to have more fiscal conservatives while the neocons are slap happy drunk at the taxpayer's troff.
Maybe a better headline would ahve been Matheson = Executive stooge.
That was my point, this isn't a partisan issue, it's a balance of powers issue and I think it goes too far.
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