Charlie Rangel

It feels like ages since any Dem was counted as leading so I've got to give a tip of the hat to David Obey. At least he tried.

The cardinals rebelled against a plan suggested by Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) to save $9.5 billion by slashing earmarks. Obey hoped to use the money to minimize cuts to domestic programs important to Democrats.

The backstory is that on Wednesday Nancy as matter of course caved and said that she'd cut back on total spending to keep to the strict $933 billion limit set by the White House.

She abandoned a proposal she supported Tuesday to cut pork after she faced stiff opposition from the 12 cardinals (the Democratic chairmen of the House Appropriations subcommittees).

All of this was done to keep Bush from vetoing 11 bills. Since when do Democrats work to make things convenient for Bush?

But, hat tip -- nice try, Obey. Maybe if your House leader had a strategy for how to use vetoes to further Dems goals, then maybe your Cardinals would have hung tight. Who knows.