Maybe President Bush did betray his bias for the military over the economically distressed in his choice of vetoes last week. He sent back a $606 billion spending bill funding education, health and labor programs but signed a $471 billion defense appropriations bill funding the Pentagon, minus Afghanistan and Iraq operations. But Congress gave him an opening so large that any president would feel tempted to drive a veto truck through. That would be 2,000 ... [full story]

It may be appropriate for a federal court to decide who in government has the authority to set fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, but it is well beyond the role of the court to take on the job of setting those standards itself. But that's what the Ninth Circuit Court in San Francisco is trying to do in ruling that federally approved fuel efficiency standards for light trucks are not stringent enough; wrongly excluded sport ... [full story]

A sign says: 'Racial sensitivity training.' Underneath sit, three men wearing shirts labeled: 'Imus, Dog, Kramer.' Dog says: 'We have a quorum.' Editorial cartoon by Gary Markstein [full story]

Watching the American economy these days is like watching an Indiana Jones movie: Real estate bombs explode, pillars of banking totter, investors duck for cover. Yet, so far America has come through it all with only a few bumps and bruises. It's a remarkable performance, and chances are that it will continue. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke went before Congress last week and predicted that the American economy will slog along sluggishly through early next ... [full story]

The cursor is clicking the send button on an e-mail from: 'bushadministration@govt.com.' It is addressed to: 'the.americanpeople@usa.com.' It is regarding: 'missing white house e-mails.' The messages says: '(]///////> you!' Editorial cartoon by John Sherffius. [full story]

Harried parents stalking toy store aisles for the season's "must-have" present can be forgiven for not recognizing the difference between 1,4-butanediol and 1,4-pentanediol. For those who don't, it's about $6,900 a metric ton - and the safety of your children. One of those chemicals, 1,4-pentanediol, is a nontoxic ingredient in glue. It cost $9,700 a metric ton last week. The other is a considerably less expensive industrial solvent that when ingested metabolizes into the "date ... [full story]

Two men stander under a boat dock. A fishing boat dangles from the dock. There is no water. One man says in the caption: 'I'm beginning to take this drought in the Southeast seriously.' Editorial cartoon by Bruce Beattie. [full story]

For 20 years, America has been sending drug offenders in possession of crack cocaine to jail at considerably higher rates than those who possess powdered cocaine. Possession of five grams of crack cocaine, an amount equal to five packets of sugar substitute, landed a person in jail for a minimum of five years. It took 100 grams of powder cocaine to earn a five-year sentence. Also, last year 82 percent of crack defendants were black. ... [full story]

A foursome crosses the Swilken Bridge on the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland. The Royal and Ancient Clubhouse is visible inthe background. In the caption one golfer says: 'There's so much history here at St. Andrews. It's were golf was born ... and where Congressman Feeney's reputation died.' Editorial cartoon by Bruce Beattie. [full story]

It was a mistake by Republican presidential candidates that gave Democrats the chance to portray them as indifferent to Hispanic concerns. Now that mistake has been corrected, and it is Republicans who have been given the opportunity to speak directly to the nation's largest minority. First, the background. Earlier this year, Univision, America's largest Spanish-language television network, scheduled a pair of presidential debates. With the help of translators, candidates would answer questions posed to them ... [full story]

A family of four sits in an alley across from a skid-row bum. The family man says: 'We had lousy timing. We borrowed against our home's equity at the same time as were buying stocks on margin.' Editorial cartoon by Bruce Beattie. [full story]

In between the nanny-state position of congressional Democrats and the head-in-the-sand views of the Bush administration, there surely is an appropriate public policy to better protect American consumers. Last week's recall of the highly popular children's toy Aqua Dots served in dramatic fashion to illustrate once again that more consumer protection is clearly needed. Scientists reported that the Aqua Dots beads contained a chemical that, when eaten, metabolized in the body into a powerful date-rape ... [full story]

Congress should stop its spending spree long enough to at least place a new patch on the dreaded Alternative Minimum Tax before it ensnares millions of middle-class Americans. If not fixed, the AMT will hit an estimated 23.4 million wage earners with sharply higher tax bills this year, compared with 3.5 million in 2006. Revenues from the tax could rise to $69.8 billion from $23.9 billion last year. The free spenders in Washington don't deserve ... [full story]