I remember when the Republicans used to complain wildly about "unfunded mandates". They don't do that anymore, because Bush is king of the unfunded mandate. Almost every bill the Republicans have rammed down our throats has included them, from No Child Left Behind to the PATRIOT Act. Compared to Bush and his cronies in congress, the pressure the Democrats had put on state and local budgets is like dew dripping from a leaf next to a pissing elephant.