That's a lot of shoes and rice (THIS is "conservative spending"?!)

Today's New York Times is reporting that President Bush wants to spent $1.5 BILLION in an election-year plot to promote marriage. The official announcement could come as early as next week, when Bush is scheduled to give his State of the Union address.

Whenever Bill Clinton gave a State of the Union speech, it was like watching one man pushing Christmas in January: everyone got a present from the sack... courtesy of the American taxpayer. And conservative politicians and pundits cried out "when does it end? How long before we rein in this kind of wasteful government spending?"

Apparently, it won't happen on this administration's watch.

Marriage doesn't need a government program to work. In fact, the farther away that government stays away from a husband and wife, the better. No amount of money, not even $1.5 billion, can legislate commitment between a man and woman. That comes from things that are beyond fiscal value... such as strong families and faith communities.

Maybe it's just bad timing, because the last thing I want to do with this blog is turn it into an ongoing "anti-Bush" tirade. But the man has made so many ridiculous policy decisions that fly in the face of conservative values in the last week alone that they deserve chronicling. Ultimately it will be you and me, and our children, that will be expected to cough up the dough for these hairbrained schemes that are intended to re-elect the incumbment...

...so, is there a real conservative in the house?