WASHINGTON - Congress enacted a massive election-year farm bill Thursday over President Bush’s veto, sending new and bigger subsidies for farmers and more food stamps to help the poor with rising grocery prices.The 82-13 vote in the Senate following a 316-108 vote Wednesday night in the House provided Democrats only their second veto override in Bush’s presidency, but they harvested a constitutional controversy with it.

The News & Observer

35 out of 49 Republicans couldn’t resist taking money from the middle and lower classes of America and handing it over to wealthy farmers who are already enjoying soaring incomes. Also stuffed into this bill was an additional $1 billion per year for food stamp welfare handouts, money for alternative energy incentives, millions for Kentucky horse racers, and a bunch of other give aways that have nothing to do with farming.

This is why the Republican Party is not taken seriously anymore by not just conservatives, but independents, fiscal libertarians, and Reagan Democrats. They are not the party of responsible spending. We don’t have a viable one anymore.

These Republicans stood up for fiscal restraint and voted against overriding the President’s veto. And looky, looky! It’s mostly moderates and RINOs. The supposed conservatives of the GOP hopped right on the entitlement bandwagon.

• Bob Bennett - Utah
• Susan Collins - Maine
• Pete Domenici - New Mexico
• John Ensign - Nevada
• Judd Gregg - New Hampshire
• Chuck Hagel - Nebraska
• Jon Kyl - Arizona
• Dick Lugar- Indiana
• Lisa Murkowski - Alaska
• John Sununu - New Hampshire
• George Voinovich - Ohio

They were joined by Democrats Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, both of Rhode Island. Jim DeMint (R-SC) voted present, for whatever reason, and Tom Coburn (R-OK), John McCain (R-AZ), Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Barack Obama (D-IL) did not vote.