Reply #44: There's a difference...

[XemaSab]

...between being a moderate, and bending over and taking it up the bum from this administration.

This is something SOME folks haven't learned.

I got this e-mail from DiFi today:

Thank you for writing to express your views on the
Fiscal Year 2005 Omnibus Appropriations bill. I
appreciate hearing from you and welcome the
opportunity to respond.

On November 20, the U.S. Senate voted 65 to 30
to approve the Omnibus package, which provides $388
billion to fund 13 Cabinet level departments and many
smaller agencies. While the Omnibus Appropriations bill
is far from perfect, I voted for the legislation because I
believe that, on balance, it is beneficial to California and
the Nation.

(blah blah blah)

While I voted for this legislation, I am troubled by
some of the bill's provisions and by the process in which
it was considered. One of the primary responsibilities of
the Congress is to appropriate funding for federal
government activities. This is done through the 13
annual appropriations bills. In recent years, however, the
process has broken down and many of the bills are
combined into an end-of-the-year omnibus bill. The
result is a limitation on the Senate's ability to
appropriately consider how federal government
departments and agencies are funded.

As a member of the Senate Appropriations
Committee, I am committed to my responsibility for
oversight of federal spending and the Congressional
budget process. I hope you will continue to keep in to
keep touch on issues of importance to you. If you have
any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate
to contact my Washington, DC staff at [phone].

Sincerely yours,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

I don't think Howard's one who has a lot of practice in grabbing his ankles like our friend Dianne does.