Guns And Butter

Hello from Minneapolis, where winter has arrived (snow on the ground and forecast lows in the teens). While we were sleeping for flying or eating or blogging, Congress approved $87 bil for Iraq and Afghanistan … here’s the link to the NY Times story, with this lead:

The Senate today approved an $87.5 billion package for the military and reconstruction campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, one day after an attack on an Army helicopter in Iraq left 16 American soldiers dead.

The voice vote took place late this afternoon, with only a few senators in the chamber. Although the voice vote allowed for passage without any negative votes being officially recorded, the approval took place over the conspicuously shouted “no” of Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, one of the few lawmakers in the chamber.

Note the casualty reference in the first paragraph. I like to illustrate contrasts in media coverage, so here’s the lead from the Wall Street Journal):

Congress gave final approval to $87.5 billion for U.S. military operations and aid in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Senate handed a legislative victory to Bush by approving the bill on a voice vote.

… although the Journal then links to the AP file story, which leads:

Congress voted its final approval Monday for $87.5 billion for U.S. military operations and aid in Iraq and Afghanistan, a day after Americans in Iraq endured their worst casualties since March.

In an anticlimactic moment for which only a handful of senators appeared, the Senate approved the bill by voice and handed a legislative victory to President Bush, who had requested a similar package two months ago. The voice vote — in which Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd was the only one to shout “Nay” — let lawmakers sidestep the roll call that usually accompanies major legislation.

Draw your own conclusions about editorial license. Also on the Journal site is this graphical breakdown of the bill’s allocations, which I post here for your greater edification.