If Ramesh is right, a couple of Republican senators have come up with a way to turn down the political heat on their big-spending party--by sponsoring a line-item veto amendment. The Supreme Court struck down the line-item veto in the 1990s, but this would get around that by making it Constitutional.

They'd better be careful what they wish for, though--given the current mood of the country, it just might pass. Or maybe, in the case of these two particular senators, they actually hope it will. It could be that its time has finally come.

Yes! I say we do it! Bush has shown that he is opposed to big spending gummint! So let's give him the Line Item Veto so that he will actually finally veto something!

Unfortunately, I don't think it will actually amount to anything. It will give the president more power to negotiate with congress. Let's say the president wants something, like privatized social security. He will say, look, I won't line-item veto your little special projects if you back my special project.

Did I have in mind that we'd hand over forty billion federal dollars to one of the most corrupt state governments in the country, with no accountability?

No. Though I'm not sure what that has to do with my post.