I have seeing a large consensus from all across the political spectrum on the Internet that slapping Iraq with a debt load as part of the reconstruction was a really stupid idea, if not downright immoral.

A list of such opinions can be found as part of this blog. Follow the links. Some of the links are normally radically anti-Bush.

For the Democrats in the Senate, it wasn't about the money, or even about Iraq, it was about handing Bush a defeat. It could have been a bill to make licorice the National Candy and it wouldn't have made a difference. I have no idea what the hell the Senate Republicans who went along with this were thinking.

One hopes that the message will come through, and the Senate will quietly and without much fanfare or loss of face, back down in conference.

For a good time, have a good look at the other amendments that were fired at this bill. Many were designed to simply kill it, or add unacceptable baggage to it.