Austerity

...for everyone:

WASHINGTON - Republicans whisked a $388 billion spending bill through the House on Saturday, a mammoth measure that underscores the dominance of deficit politics by curbing dollars for everything from education to environmental cleanups.

Except, of course, for Our Ruler, whose sycophants in Congress believe the Maximum Leader needs to have a little something included in the same budget that shortchanges the rest of the country:

A potential boon for Bush himself, $2 million for the government to try buying back the presidential yacht Sequoia. The boat was sold three decades ago, though its current owners say the yacht is not for sale.

Citizens go begging while the sanguine Emperor whiles away his time on fabulous cruises. It's hard to imagine a better metaphor for Republican rule.