The day after the House-Senate budget resolution conferees met last week to take up their delicate deliberations, the bull from the Bush china shop came barreling into the room -- thankfully, long after negotiators had left. But the portly bull, less than deft, issued threats that fell on deaf ears, bloviating to long-vacated room: ... it is timely to notify you that I will recommend the President veto any appropriations bill that exceeds his request until Congress demonstrates a sustainable path that keeps discretionary spending within the President's topline of $933 billion. I suppose it is a timely sentiment. After six years of profligacy and tax cuts combining to heap a fresh $3 trillion onto the nation's debt, increasing it by about 60 percent during that time, it is high time that Bush & Co. got with the program. But how much credibility does the president have on the Hill with this issue? Here's what House Appropriations Committee chair David Obey (D-WI) told the Post: This is the same guy who's squirted away almost $600 billion on a stupid war and this is a guy who's riding at 28 percent in public opinion polls.