Line Item Veto: Good Or Bad

In principle a line item veto makes perfect sense. If there is a funding bill for student loans for example, adding funding for a pedestrian walkway in San Francisco doesn't make sense. The walkway may be a good investment for America, although I don't see how, but it has nothing to do with student loans. The disparity and egregiousness of multiple items in one bill can be extreme.

But that veto power is fraught with danger if not used reasonably. In the hands of an idiot like Bush it would most likely be used to help corporations or punish anyone who disagrees with his policies. I don't trust Bush to walk my dog (if I had one) and certainly don't trust him to be cautious and reasonable in weilding his new weapon.

However, all that said, I found new info about this veto bill over at Capitol Hill Blue.

This newest version would allow the president to single out those spending items he wants killed and then Congress would have 10 days to say yea or nay. The president currently has rescission authority. He can ask Congress to revoke certain spending, but Congress can ignore him. This proposal would require a vote.

Even with Congress' being in Repug hands, this is something I can live with. This just asks for Congress to take one last look and they still have control unless Bush decides to veto the whole bill.