The Budget: A Well Oiled Machine?

Have you heard the news? Our very own U.S. Congress has done such a good job in cutting spending that Tom DeLay (R-TX) has declared "victory", saying there is simply no more fat to cut from the federal budget. This is great news. Of course, it's even better news if you live in DeLay's district because more money is going to his district than any other in the country in this year's transportation bill, including $6 million for the "Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University to work in conjunction with local and private sector organizations on issues affecting regional mobility." Ah yes, after the Iraq War, the war on terror, and Katrina relief, I put 'regional mobility' at the top of the list. [Visit DeLay's website for more.]

Just Inside the Beltway doesn't begrudge any Congressman for getting what he or she can for their district, but it seems like a bit of a stretch to argue that the pork is out of the budget. "This is hardly a well-oiled machine," said Rep. Jeff Flake, Arizona Republican. "There's a lot of fat to trim. ... I wonder if we've been serving in the same Congress."

American Conservative Union Chairman David A. Keene isn't sure what color the sky is in DeLay's world, saying federal spending has been "spiraling out of control" in recent years and that conservaties are "increasingly losing faith in the president and the Republican leadership in Congress."

Could it be that the ol' Hammer just doesn't always seem to get it? Time will tell.