The one-sided sausage factory

Concerned that perhaps President Bush should not, in fact, be able to ignore any law he wants whenever he wants merely by tacking a signing statement on to the measure, U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., plans to introduce a bill to allow Congress to sue Bush and try to get the practice declared unconstitutional.

It sounds like Specter means business. Then again, it also sounded like Specter meant business when he angrily demanded hearings to investigate the Bush administration's warrantless domestic spying program, only to agree a month later to a vast expansion of the executive branch's surveillance powers in exchange for a pledge that the White House might submit the program to a secret court for a review of its legality -- if it feels like it. (Take that, you shrill accountability mongerers and separation-of-powers lovers.)

Yes, Specter's inspiring legislative accomplishment on the warrantless spying program instills confidence that he can strike a reasonable deal on the signing statements: unrestrained blanket approval, along with a minimum-wage cut and tax breaks for suffering oil companies, in exchange for a few coloring books, a novelty shot glass, and a couple of players to be named later.

C'mon, don't you want the Braves to contend this year?