From The Washington Post

Congress and Bush Are Mortgaging America's Future

Mr. Bush -- and his enablers in both parties in Congress -- are leading the country in a radical direction. They will widen the gap between poor and rich. They will unfairly burden the next generation of taxpayers. And they will threaten the country's long-term well-being by starving the government of revenue for essential services that neither Mr. Bush nor his congressional supporters have the courage to admit will become unaffordable.

As he flies across the country selling his tax plan, Mr. Bush often likens the government to a household that needs to carefully manage its budget. But no family would plan for its future the way Mr. Bush is running the federal government: recklessly spending money it doesn't have and piling up debt it can't afford even as it knows the really big bills are about to come due.

If the administration intends to end up with a far smaller federal government that does far less -- the inevitable result of its policies -- it ought at least to come clean with the American people about what the tradeoffs will be.

No Political Fallout for Bush on Weapons by Dana Milbank and Jim VandeHei

Why the reticence to remind Bush of the rationale for the war? Public opinion may be one reason.

According to a May 1 Gallup poll for CNN and USA Today, 79 percent of Americans said the war with Iraq was justified even without conclusive evidence of the illegal weapons, while 19 percent said discoveries of the weapons were needed to justify the war. An April Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 72 percent supported the war even without a finding of chemical or biological weapons. Similarly, a CBS News poll found that 60 percent said the war was worth the blood and other costs even if weapons are never found.

There are reasons other than politics for the Democrats' reluctance to take up the subject. Several, including Pelosi, continue to believe weapons may be found. "If you make that accusation and they find [the weapons] tomorrow and you have a banner headline, you look a little silly," said Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), who supported the war resolution.

But even if the weapons are never found, it may be smart politics to let the subject drop. "Our constituents like a victory, and at this point it's a victory," said Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee (R-R.I.). "In the beginning, our constituents were saying, 'They better find weapons of mass destruction.' With it over so quickly, we are not hearing that refrain."

Bush, Cheny List Gifts and Assets by Dana Milbank

Bush reported assets valued between $8.8 million and $21.9 million. Cheney reported assets worth between $19.1 million and $86.4 million. Both accepted thousands of dollars worth of various gifts of which the most interesting were eight Rolling Stones tickets reported for daughter Jenna Bush.