There’s one thing I forgot to mention in my article about Jeb Hensarling’s recent porkbusting: The Bush administration took his side in the showdown against the appropriators:
Statement of Administration Policy
“The Administration is pleased that the Committee bill supports the President’s military construction request and provides the resources and infrastructure for the Nation’s fighting forces at home and abroad. However, the Administration opposes the use of war reserve funds for military construction projects. This funding should be used only for urgent construction directly related to the Global War on Terror, instead of funding regular construction projects related to long-term defense needs. In addition, the Administration urges Congress to remove funding for 66 unrequested projects, totaling nearly $0.5 billion, which divert funding from other higher-priority programs.”
So those Republican appropriators who questioned Hensarling’s commitment to the war were also inadvertently questioning the commitment of the commander-in-chief.