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People who admit things as they are, then work to change them, show backbone... it's a good thing that these representatives said what they did.

Don't insult our intelligence by labeling this as "backbone." It's just more craven duplicity from the Professional Politician class. Watch this:

The White House "has told us they will support a freeze if we have the votes, but some of us want the president to take the lead on this," confided a Republican House member who has been negotiating with the administration on the budget.

If I'm in the White House, and I hear this, my reply is, "Oh, so while you're telling us that the people in your district want a spending freeze, you don't actually believe it yourself. You want us to provide air cover for the freeze. The only reason you would want that is if you thought a freeze would get you in trouble with your constituents."

So which is it, Congressman? Do your constituents want this? Or are you just trying to have it both ways? You want to be able to go to your conservative donors and say, "I told that White House to stop spending!" and then you want to turn around and go to the town hall meeeting and say, "The spending freeze is imposed on us by the White House. I would have voted to support the River City Furry Animal Museum project, but those scrooges in the White House wouldn't let me."

This is the Same Old Same Old. "Vote for me! I'm a penny-pinching fiscal conservative who really knows how to bring home the bacon!" Feh.

This is the sort of thing that infurates me. It sounds a LOT like what Poohbah has described as well - and to be honest, I am getting more and more disillusioned with the folks who are making these kinds of arguments against the President.

Precisely.