If Karl Rove schemed to add a lot of bloat to the stimulus package in order to claim victory for a smaller negotiated amount later, Tom DeLay flushed that strategy into the toilet late today. In a joint appearance with Speaker Dennis Hastert, DeLay flatly contradicted the Speaker when asked if the Bush plan was the limit. After Hastert indicated that the plan was a ceiling, Delay said it was only a floor, and that the total amount of the cuts could very well go much higher.

So much for caucus discipline. Care to speculate on how such fiscal recklessness will register with moderate Senate Republicans? Does DeLay expect Frist, who already has enough challenges, to be able to sell McCain, Snowe, Chafee, Collins, and swing Democrats like Breaux on such a spendthrift policy?

Steve Soto