Editorial: Hypocritical veto

Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007 | 7:24 a.m.

Trying to portray himself as a fiscal conservative, President Bush vetoed a bill Tuesday that would increase funding for health and education programs. He claimed the bill was filled with "wasteful projects."

"Congress owes the taxpayers much better than this effort," Bush said. "The majority was elected on a pledge of fiscal responsibility, but so far it's acting like a teenager with a new credit card."

Bush's concern about this bill is rooted not in financial prudence but in partisan politics. He's not about to let a Democratic-run Congress get credit for popular and needed programs. To help Republican candidates, he falsely claims the Democrats are fiscally irresponsible.

Don't forget that spending increases are no problem for this president, who has driven the country into record deficits. He had no problem Tuesday signing a bill increasing the Pentagon's budget by $40 billion - or 9 percent. That bill does not include spending on the wars, which Congress is still debating. The Associated Press reported that after the cost of the wars is added in, the Pentagon's budget will soar above the typical Cold War defense budget adjusted for inflation.

The Pentagon's spending is driven by a number of new weapons systems. The defense bill includes $13.2 billion for three big-ticket items - a new fighter jet, a new class of attack submarine and a new type of naval destroyer.

Meanwhile, Bush is objecting to a health and education bill that would have restored many of his administration's cuts and added needed money for job training, education, community health centers and research at the National Institutes of Health.

Since his reelection, Bush has, for some reason, targeted this bill for cuts. Congress, thankfully, has rejected his shortsighted requests.

"This is a bipartisan bill," said Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "There has been virtually no criticism of its contents."

Except from the president, who inexplicably is putting politics ahead of the public's health. Congress should override Bush's hypocritical veto.