Earlier this afternoon, the Senate Budget Committee approved Jim Nussle's nomination to head OMB, 22-1. The lone dissenter was Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who announced that he had placed a hold on the nomination because President Bush is completely out of touch with the economic realities facing working families in America. Bush needs to hear the truth, not an echo. He needs a budget director who will make him face the facts, not fan his fantasies.

Rick Perlstein at the Campaign for America's Future explains the political significance of the Minnesota bridge collapse.

Budget Battle Man Stan Busts Bush Bull Below, we had a quick look at the President's speech last week to the American Legislative Exchange Council in Philadelphia.

An OMBW Dialogue CRAIG: President Bush makes no sense, he's vetoing the Homeland Security spending bill, but not Military Construction (MilCon), the Ag bill, but not Financial Services for budget reasons. What's up with that? DANA: It looks random, but... wait, haven't his veto statements all said that he wants Congress to pass spending bills totaling not a penny over his $933 discretionary spending topline for FY 2008? CRAIG: Sure, but then why is he vetoing some bills where Congress' 302(b) allocations for FY 2008 exceed his February budget request -- but not others?