Sugar is sweet, so they think it's like Kryptonite to Fred Thompson.

Frank, Frank, Frank, when are you going to learn. Demoncrats never let the facts or truth affect their decisions. Only how they FEEL is important.

I don't mind the sugar beets, it's the obviously heavy Navy influence in the bill.
I mean spinach subsidies?
I yam what I yam and I don't like spinach.

The date I also understand, it was determined after rigorous scientific consideration.
You see, on that date the Moon will be in the 7th house and Jupiter will be aligned with Mars.
It's all very scientific.
Just like global worming.

Simple:

They want to assure the bill will get vetoed. Then they can point at the oval office and say Bush is starving the soldiers by cutting off the funding.

That's an easy one. The only way to justify raising taxes is to find a whole bunch of crap to spend them on, and at every opportunity.

The liberal talk radio shows are saying the pork was necessary since the Republicans didn't "get to them" when they were in the majority.

The Dems settled on the date they did because they can't figure out a way for us to surrender yesterday.

The current bill is a joke. As a sop to the KOSkids et al. they have set a date, since it was demanded of them. Besides that, the DemoCRAPs take nothing seriously. It is an outright set of bribes to see just who can be bought and for how much. The Iraq War funding would not even be in the bill if they could get away with it. In their world, Islamofascists are a minor policing problem, that should not even involve the military.

In order for the dem's to answer the tuff questions they would have to be asked, given the press we have that will never happen.

Your first problem here is rationalizing leftists.

Your second is . . . well, the first covers it, really.

the arbitrary withdrawal date was indeed scientifically picked (but nothing to do with the moon in the 7th house or Jupiter and Mars).

First Ted Kennedy insisted the troops not come home before St. Patrick's day because that way there will be more green beer for him.

Next, Nancy Pelosi pointed out that they dare not use April 1st less someone not take them seriously.

With those two defining moments taken care of, someone got out a dart board.

On the defeatis pork bill:

Everyone who normally voted GOP but stayed home last election did this. It only gets worse from here. Next time, all the fools who got their feelings hurt and took it out on the GOP in the general instead of the primaries, should learn to play chess instead of checkers. Thanks so much to all those who stayed home and put the Dems in charge.

Maybe in another 40 years Newt can save us again and engineer another Republican Revolution. Oh wait, he will probably be in the grave by that time.

Right to be angry; wrong to be stupid.

The PORK is just there as a placeholder. Once they get us taxpayers used to paying the new taxes, we are not supposed to notice the porking we take when they keep increasing them every year.

They couldn't have used a dart board, that would be the equivalent of using a type of spear or weapon, which they are against. Competition, they can't handle, since it makes the weakest feel left out. They probably just called Miss Cleo.

Long story short, they're not defending the pork. In fact they're simply ignoring any questions regarding it and shifting to different topics. Not sure why they picked March 31st of next year. best guess would be it's fairly soon after the primaries.

Of course they expect Bush to veto; in fact they want it. 'Slots' Reed has alluded a few times to keeping the White House waiting until August. Why is this date significant? Apparently according to the so called 'experts', if the surge is to work they will see results by then. Even if Congress doesn't pass a suitable bill, they can pass emergency funding extensions every 30 days.

They want to have thier cake and eat it too. If the surge doesn't work Pelosi can tout Congress' wisdom (and by extension her own) in not supporting it. If the surge works, they can get a bill going in August and claim credit for Petreus' work. As HA would say, 'Nuance'.

The dems want the withdrawal to take place before (as they see it) the dem president takes office in January 2009. That way they do not have to make the actual decision, and they can blame Bush for getting into Iraq and then out again. If we are still in Iraq when their president takes office they will have to make good on their demand to cut and run, so that the resulting disaster will clearly be laid at their door.