AND??? and i hate you, congress.

why, why do i do things like try to figure out what has been going on in the Senate regarding the scazillion-dollar stimulus plan? it only a) gets my blood pressure up and b) confirms that our elected representatives are morons, or at least have stared at legislative doubletalk for so long that their judgements about English have been seriously compromised. exhibit 1: Senate Amendment 309, introduced by Thomas Coburn (R-OK)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. LIMIT ON FUNDS.

None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, art center, and highway beautification project.

take another look. "…museum, theater, art center and highway beautification project"??? that is one hell of a project. in fact, i'm pretty sure you won't be finding any such mega-conglomerate initiative anywhere in the original bill. and they passed this amendment. what a waste of time. idiots.

of course, having someone proofread the damn thing and change and to or would have saved the nonsense that this will create in conference committee, in the courts if the bill is signed into law with this amendment in place, &c. &c.

Pearls Before Swine takes on English-only

sums it up pretty well, i should say (click for big):