[Lancey Howard]

If Bush knew that it was not going to ever cross his desk, then why say anything at all about his willingness to sign it?

(Jeez, how quickly we forget.)

Bush's spokeman said what he said so that the House members would understand that he will not save their rear-ends with a veto. He was telling the House "YOU take care of this."

It was the same gambit with CFR. The House chickened out (or maybe realized that the courts would save them) and Bush did what he warned he would do - - he signed the trash legislation rather than hand the scumbag Democrats a hammer.

And now the House understands that Bush means what he says.
The House will kill the extension.

[Fraulein]

Is it okay to intentionally violate the oath of office -- to sign a bill, like CFR, that the President knew was unconstitutional -- simply because the end justified the means? Bush silenced the dems only at the cost of going on public record as having supported the legislation. There are lots of voters out there who read those headlines, without understanding the so-called 'strategy' behind it, and that may actually end up doing damage to Bush in the long run. At the very least I think that should be a worry.