Congress schmongress

At what point will Congress realize that their existence during the Bush regime is simply superfluous? At what point will they just stop wasting time writing laws that require anything of the executive? And at what point will Bush stop "asking Congress" to do rubberstamp his policies. Because, he doesn't care if they do or not.

President Bush, again defying Congress, says he has the power to edit the Homeland Security Department's reports about whether it obeys privacy rules while handling background checks, ID cards and watchlists.

In the law Bush signed Wednesday, Congress stated no one but the privacy officer could alter, delay or prohibit the mandatory annual report on Homeland Security department activities that affect privacy, including complaints.

But Bush, in a signing statement attached to the agency's 2007 spending bill, said he will interpret that section "in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive branch."

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said it's appropriate for the administration to know what reports go to Congress and to review them beforehand.

Within this Homeland Security spending bill, Bush is also overruling a congressional requirement that any new director of FEMA must have five years of experience and a "demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security." Bush claims that this requirement would rule out "a large portion of those persons best qualified by experience and knowledge to fill the office." Yes, you read that correctly; requiring experience in emergency management would rule out people with experience in emergency management.

Rod Serling, enter stage left....