Senator Menendez, the Spending Bill, and the Fine Print

Well, as we predicted last week, it appears as if Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) will fall into line behind the Democrat's pork-laden $410 billion dollar Omnibus Spending Bill, after forcing a delay due to language that will change the US-Cuba relationship. No suprise there.

But it was interesting to hear Menendez's (D-La Raza) complaints about the way Obama and his minions go about their business of forcing change down everyone's throat. The Washington Post reports:

Menendez knew that his hard-line approach to Cuba was a minority view within his party, and that it was at odds with Obama's approach. But he did not expect to discover a significant policy change embedded in the text on an appropriations bill. His policy aides came across the language when the legislation was posted on a congressional Web site.

"The process by which these changes have been forced upon this body is so deeply offensive to me, and so deeply undemocratic, that it puts the omnibus appropriations package in jeopardy, in spite of all the other tremendously important funding that this bill would provide," the enraged son of Cuban immigrants said last week on the Senate floor.

Menendez has pointed out that, had the bill sought significant changes in U.S. policy toward Iran or Venezuela, lawmakers would revolt. "What's the difference with Cuba?" said Menendez spokesman Afshin Mohamadi.

Valid point, Afshin. The difference is that you will likely get a tweak in the language, because right or wrong, you are a Democrat. Were Menendez (D - Illegal Immigrants) a Republican, no matter how right he was, he would be laughed out of Reid's office, and made a public figure of scorn by Robert Gibbs in his next news conference.

Will Menendez (D-Hispanic Jerseyans) fight to keep future fine-print undemocratic Obama ploys out of major spending bills? Or only the ones thay offend the .01% of New Jersey that he actively represents?