Bill takes heat

Not everyone is happy about SAFETEA-LU. Many Republican activists are upset about the six-year $286.5 billion bill approved by Congress on Friday. Bush's aides made clear he would sign the bill even though he previously pledged to veto any measure above $284 billion. "This bill is an egregiously bloated spending bill and this all happens as we move to the final phase of the spending season," said Pat Toomey, head of the Club for Growth, a group that raises money for Republican candidates. Former House of Representatives Republican Leader Dick Armey said a highway-bill veto would be a chance to show Congress "the spending spree is over." William Niskanen, chairman of the Cato Institute think tank, referred to the highway bill as an "abomination" but said Bush likely agreed to it to buy votes for a key priority, the U.S. Central-American Free Trade Agreement. There's something I don't like about the bill myself. The name. It sounds like a square dance. Your comment?