Several candidates for president - Romney, McCain, even erstwhile nemesis Giuliani - have championed the line-item veto as a solution to Washington's pork woes. Pork is a major problem - whether it's in transparent donations of taxpayer money to pet projects or hidden in broader programs. But the line-item veto will not solve the problem - it will only make the president complicit.
For the past hundred years, the president's role in lawmaking has grown, perhaps unconstitutionally. Giving the president a veto scalpel would allow him to reward friends and punish foes, and to trade horses with Congress. While most Republicans this cycle are making noise about controlling spending, are we really to believe that any of them - or their successors - would resist the temptation to buy votes for signature legislation with the odd bridge to nowhere or butterfly genetics laboratory?
The president doesn't need a scalpel - the mace he already wields is weapon enough to scare Congress into good behavior. What remains wanting is the courage to wield it - and changing the weapon won't make cowards brave.
Note: if you're from Massachusetts, you already knew that the title of this post is a rhyme.
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