While the right likes to accuse “defeatocrats” of being the party of obstruction and that liberals more generally aren’t interested in the welfare of the nation, but rather just like to shut down things simply because Republicans or Bush support them. This is why their reaction to the Democrats’ anti-terrorism bill completely baffles me.

Several Republicans criticized the legislation as little more than political posturing in the early hours of a new Democratic-controlled Congress. Democrats want to “look aggressive on homeland security. This bill will waste billions of dollars, and possibly harm homeland security by gumming up progress already under way,” said Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky.

Yikes, this sounds serious. Could it be that the party that has campaigned for the past few months (years?) about fiscal responsibility and reigning in the irresponsible spending is now throwing out costly measures simply to put up the image of strength? Let’s take a look at the legislation itself.

Patterned on recommendations of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks, the far-reaching measure includes commitments for inspection of all cargo carried aboard passenger aircraft and on ships bound for the United States.

Wait. So the Democrats want to implement the suggestions of the 9/11 Commission, including things that would have easily blocked the British plot that was flaunted as evidence of the need for Bush’s “decisive leadership”, and the Republicans are whining that it’s all posturing and expensive. Awesome.