The President is part of the problem. He has a line item veto but has given Congress everything they've asked for - including the pork which includes the "bridge to nowhere".
No, he doesn't. That being said, I've wondered why the president doesn't use his bully-pulpit more effectively. Veto the pork-laden transportation bill on live TV and then read off the top 20 most expensive pieces of pork and explain why they are pork.
From the link:
"On June 26, 1998, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, struck down the line-item veto law, declaring it unconstitutional. In the case of Clinton v. City of New York, the Court held the law unconstitutional on grounds that it violates the presentment clause; in order to grant the President line item veto a constitutional amendment is needed (according to the majority opinion)."
I thought the line-item veto was found to be unconstitutional? Did I just imagine that (not that I agree with that designation)?