John David Rose examines the Bush budget and what it means for middle class Americans. Bottom line, it means those calling the shots in our executive branch firmly believe you’re way too busy trying to make ends meet to question, much less challenge, their arrogant and reckless ways.

Republicans brag that the president increased veterans’ medical care budget $1.9 billion in 2007. Well, there are lies, damned lies and Republican budgets.

What they don’t tell you is that, in order to save tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans, veterans’ programs will be cut by $10.3 billion over the next five years.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (who provided the figures for Rose’s editorial), “Given the rising cost of medical care — and especially the large number of wounded servicemen returning from Iraq and Afghanistan — the reductions after 2007 are almost certainly not tenable.”

The disdain for the disempowered in our culture that daily emanates from Pennsylvania Avenue can no longer be tolerated. We can either get together and eradicate this elitist manipulation, or we can continue to suffer the consequences well in to the next decade and beyond.