Sigh

Double-digit, non-defense spending increases for three years running, and this is where Bush draws his veto pen?

The Bush administration issued a veto threat Thursday against legislation introduced in Congress that would scale back key parts of the anti-terrorism Patriot Act.

In a letter to Senate leaders, Attorney General John Ashcroft said the changes contemplated by the Security and Freedom Ensured Act, or SAFE, would “undermine our ongoing campaign to detect and prevent catastrophic terrorist attacks.”

If the bill reaches President Bush’s desk in its current form, Ashcroft said, “the president’s senior advisers will recommend that it be vetoed.”

True, it’s Ashcroft speaking, not the President. But it’s also true that Bush has never once used his veto power while we pile up the debt.